Suddenly a father
by MistyQueHarper
Summary: An idea that popped in my head after reading/watching Usagi's Drop. A 30 year old Gajeel finds himself a guardian for a little girl. What will a single grown man do when he finds himself with a four year old in his care? Fear not, Levy will be in this story, as well
1. Chapter 1:Meeting you

_**Author's** **note**: The author in me is slowly coming back. Thank God, I've missed this feeling... I've uploaded a video for all of you, my lovely fans and people who take the time to read/review/visit my works. It's on my FB page, www . facebook MistyQuefromDeviantArt (remove the spacing)_

_This is something that came up after watching/reading Usagi's Drop. It's a lovely anime, the manga continues a decade after the anime finishes. This won't be like Usagi's Drop, the ending was a bit weird from my point of view, but I liked the manga, nonetheless. _

_As for my ongoing fics, I'm continuing them. I wanna finish them all for you guys and myself. _

_I hope the new coming year will be better for everyone! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to you all!_

__All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)__

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

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**CHAPTER 1: Meeting you**

It was a day like any other day. He was actually still at work when he got the call. His breath stopped in his lungs, and he was burning on the inside. He wanted to drop his cell phone and run home, but his mother was sobbing heavily in his ear. His throat was suddenly dry. He wanted to say something, anything, but his brain had shut down. A couple of moments after not answering, his mother called out to him.

"Gajeel… Are you still there?" She sniffed heavily and waited patiently.

"Uh… Y… Yeah, I'm here…" Gajeel finally answered, lowering his head and tangling a hand in his long, black spikes.

"The funeral is in two days, so… if you wanna come…" She started crying again. He hated hearing her cry, but there was nothing he could do to cheer her up. His own eyes started stinging painfully, so he shut them and tried to steady his voice.

"I'll be there tomorrow."

"Okay…"

"Mom?"

"Yeah?" She sniffed again.

"Hang in there 'till we get there, 'kay?" He knew she would start crying again, but it was what he felt he needed to say in that moment. After all, her husband, his father, had just passed away. He shut his phone off and let his head fall on his desk. He sat there a couple of minutes, his body shaking heavily. A couple of minutes later, after he finally calmed down, Gajeel went to the bathroom to freshen up and stopped by his boss' office to let him know he'd be taking a couple of days off. No one argued.

So he packed lightly and grabbed the night train to his home town. His insides twisted painfully as regret rolled over him. Regret of not coming home for Christmas, or the New Year's, he would've had another chance to see him on his birthday, but something came up at work and he just couldn't get away. He had so many chances, but he always found reasons not to go. And now he was regretting everything. Sleep didn't come.

His feet shuffled heavily down the pebbled alley as he made his way up his house. There were a couple of cars in the garage, and a crowd was forming at the main door. He passed the neighbors without so much as a 'Hello' and searched for his mother. She wasn't hard to find, since everyone was hovering over her shocked form. She didn't talk to anyone, she merely stared into empty space. Juvia, his older sister, was next to her, crying silently.

Gajeel dropped his backpack in the middle of the room and hurried to his mother, pulling her gently out from her reverie. Once she realized who was in front of her, her eyes welled up and her hands searched his face, then she hugged him tightly. Juvia quickly threw herself in her brother's arms, Gajeel caressing both their head while letting his own pain surface. Soon after Juvia wiggled under Gajeel's protective arms, Natsu, their younger brother, kneeled next to them and wrapped his arms around them, holding tightly. No one dared approach the four, since their pain was far worse. So everyone else let them be.

A couple of minutes later, Gajeel released his girls, Natsu taking a seat on the couch next to his mother.

"I'm glad you're here, Gajeel." Juvia finally broke the painful silence, sniffing heavily. Natsu handed her some napkins.

"Me too, but not for this kind of event…" He looked away, wiping his eyes. The rest of the procession was silent, part from the occasional condolences from the neighbors and distant relatives.

A couple of hours later, Gajeel decided to take a breather. So he walked into the back yard, where his father's garden was blooming. A few rose bushes filled the air with their sweet fragrance as the raven haired man strolled along the pebbled alley. He turned a corner and stopped abruptlyonce his eyes met two sad and lost eyes. He couldn't look away from the little girl dressed in black that was tending some purple tulips. A shuffling noise behind him made the child stand up abruptly and run away.

"Who's the kid?" Gajeel asked Natsu after the child looked him in the eye for a long moment and bolted, Gajeel thinking it was after she noticed his many facial piercings.

"Uhhh… Apparently dad had an affair…" The raven haired man snapped his head to his younger brother, staring at him incredulous.

"He WHAT?"Gajeel looked after the little girl with shock.

"Yeah… And that kid's his… We have a baby sister…" Natsu said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"Wh… Why didn't he say anything? How long has mom…"

"He came back a couple of months ago and brought her along, saying the kid would be staying with us… He and mom had a huge fight… and his heart… Let's just say mom's blaming herself for everything." Gajeel was lost for words. He couldn't see his old man cheating on his mom after almost 40 years of seemingly happy life. He couldn't remember his folks ever arguing or looking at each other like they weren't the luckiest beings alive for having found each other. He felt jealous most the times, actually. Because he couldn't find someone to be worth _that_ kind of look. "It's a good thing you came, mom wanted to talk to everyone, see who'd take custody of her." Gajeel pondered heavily.

"And her mother?"

"No one knows. Dad never told anyone, apparently."

"Shit… This is the last thing mom needed…"

"Yeah… Problem is… She doesn't seem too willing to take the kid into custody…" Gajeel snapped his eyes to Natsu, who had his hands in his pockets.

"What are you saying?" The raven haired man had a bad feeling about the whole thing.

"I'm not sure. I'd rather not say anything stupid." Gajeel snickered.

"That would be a first." He teased his little brother.

"Har, har." Natsu scowled. "But, really, now, let's just wait and see what happens at the family meeting."

"How old is she?"Gajeel asked suddenly, taking Natsu by surprise.

"Four and a half."

"She's tiny…" The pierced man said in a small voice.

"I'm not sure she can speak, I've never heard her. She's strange for a kid." Natsu said in a judging tone. The funeral car stopped then on the cobbled alley, bringing the two brothers back to reality.

"I guess it's time…" Gajeel turned and headed back to the house, searching for his mother.

The procession was slow, the priest waiting for everyone to gather around the open coffin. A heavy silence followed, the air being filled with the occasional sniffs from grieving relatives. Gajeel saw the little girl in the front row of grievers, his feet carrying him instinctively to her. Once he was next to her, he could fully measure her. Her head didn't pass his hip bone, her long, deep blue hair was falling in her eyes, but she didn't seem to mind it. She was holding a handpicked flower, craning her neck to see the man inside the coffin. At one point, she even stood on her tip toes just when Gajeel peeked at her.

"Do you wanna say good-bye?" Gajeel lowered himself to the child's level, who wasn't sure if she could trust him or not. She merely nodded. Gajeel scooped her up and led her to the open coffin, where his father was sleeping his final sleep. The girl dropped the flower on his soulless body and motion to get off, Gajeel obliging.

"Is he not going to wake up?" She asked in a low voice, looking down. Gajeel's head twitched. _Shit… I'm not good with kids… What should I do…?_

"No, he's not gonna wake up. His soul went to Heaven, so he can't wake up anymore." He tried his best to make his voice a little less rough.

"Oh…" She sniffed heavily a couple of times, not looking away from the ground.

"Hey…"Gajeel placed a finger under her chin, trying to make her look up, but he never expected to see her crying openly or feel like his heart shattered in a million pieces. "You're gonna be alright." He was panicking. He wanted to make her stop crying, but he couldn't find a way. He merely wrapped his arms around her small body and hugged her, escaping a few tears himself. "We're gonna be OK." He whispered in her hair, waiting for her to calm down.

The coffin was closed and lowered in the ground with the father's last words. Soon after, people started filing out, the two remaining people being Gajeel and the small girl. He waited patiently for her to finish her inner good-bye's, breaking the silence.

"Shall we go back?" He offered his large hand, the small girl looking at him with curious eyes. She nodded and placed her small fingers inside Gajeel's hand, letting him lead her back to the car. Thus the day had passed.

Evening came, and the whole family was reunited. Gajeel's mother called everyone in the huge living room, looking very down. Once everyone was seated, she started.

"My late husband's attorney will come by in a couple of days to open the will. Until then…" She gulped, looking at her hands. "We have to find a home for the little girl he brought a few months back."

"Is it true he had an affair?" Gajeel's uncle asked in a bored voice.

"He… never said anything about an affair. Even though I asked him many times… He just said the girl is his and that's that."

"What a pain…" Jose, Gajeel's uncle crossed his arms, looking displeased.

"Glad to see your cheery and kind self never changed, uncle…"Gajeel said with sarcasm.

"Glad to see you home more often than every half a decade." Jose replied. "Why is he even here?" He asked Gajeel's mom in outrage.

"Because I'm part of the family, whether you're an asshole or not."

"You li…" Jose motioned to get up, but Rose, Gajeel's mother, silenced everyone.

"It is really the time and place to continue such arguments?" Everyone looked at her, then back at the table. Gajeel merely glared at Jose. "Now, let's discuss the problem at hand. Who will take custody of the girl?"

"I have a business to take care of, so I don't even know why you bothered to call me for this 'family' meeting." Jose raised himself from the table, leaving the rest in silence, Gajeel glaring menacingly at the back of his head.

"Well, I can't raise a child by myself… I just got a job, they'll fire me if something like this pops up." Juvia said earnestly.

"Natsu's still in college, so I can't possibly…" Rose said thoughtfully, looking at the table.

"What are you guys saying?" Gajeel felt outraged.

"Maybe it'd be best for her if we just gave her to adoption." Natsu said in a neutral voice.

"She's our sister! You can't possibly think something like that!"

"And who'll take care of her, huh?" Natsu challenged.

"Well, mom…"

"Don't push her on me! Do you think I have the time or patience to raise another child?" Her voice suddenly shot up, Gajeel staring incredulous at his mother, who was struggling to hold back her tears.

"I thought we were gonna discuss who's gonna take care of the kid, not agree on giving her to an institution! What the hell is wrong with you, people?" He raised his voice, making the people from the table turn their head away in shame. "Seriously? Everyone thinks the same? I can't believe you! I mean, I know his death was a shock, but to take it out on a kid! That's another level of asshole!"

"Hey!"

"Watch your mouth, boy!" Jose yelled from the door.

"Shove it, uncle! You have no right to tell me what to watch! You know what? You make me sick! Now I remember why I stayed away for so long!" Gajeel's chair screeched on the floor as he pushed himself away from the table and turned on his heels, going out the door and into the garden, where Wendy was playing with some dirt.

"Hey, kid." He practically yelled at her, making the child jump. She turned her head, curiosity written all over her face. "Wanna come over my place for a while?" He could hear the surprised and outraged gasps behind him, even the chairs shifting on the floor, but he didn't care. What really shocked him to the point of tears was the little girl's reaction.

Her face lit up in the most pure form of hope he had ever seen in his life as she sprung to her feet and ran to him, glomping his legs with too much force for a four year old. And when she raised her eyes to search for any traces of doubt on his face, his heart melted. And he knew what he had to do. Gajeel smiled fondly at her, watching her eyes fill and hiding her face in his pants, grabbing a hold on his back pockets.

"Are you out of your mind? You have no idea how hard it is to raise a child!" Gajeel's mother came behind him, wanting to shake him senseless.

"I'm a fast learner."

"You can't be serious." Natsu came behind his mother, arms crossed.

"At least I got the balls to at least try and give her a home, compared to you. Come on, kid, let's go home." Gajeel bent over and placed his arm under her knees, lifting her up. She immediately wrapped her tiny arms around his wide shoulders and hid in his neck.

"Wait!" His mother placed her hand on his arm, stopping him. She looked ashamed at him for a moment, looking away. "Her things…"

"Mom! Are you serious?" Natsu looked shocked at the gray haired woman, letting her pass him in a hurry as Gajeel waited patiently for her to come back. A couple of minutes later, his mother came back, holding a small backpack and a suitcase.

"Her birth certificate and other important documents are here. This is all she has."

"Thanks." Gajeel said roughly, turning away and leaving the family in complete silence. He was furious. He wanted to break some teeth, but the small, warm body clinging to him for dear life told him it was not the place, not time for violence. His priority was to get Wendy home.

**TBC**

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****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	2. Chapter 2: I have no idea what I'm doing

_**Author's note**: WOW! so many reviews right after posting it! THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!_

_So, by now, I think everyone knows I'm a mommy. My toddler is 3 and a half now, so I have plenty of funny and cute stories to add to the fic. His innocence and his way of viewing the world around him made me ponder so many times. So I'll add them here. Also, my 5 year old niece is a lot of help lol._

_**ItscalledLove** , *shares some tissues* fear not, I WILL make you tear up again. MWAHAHAHAHAAAA_

_**oxybry** , siempre que tenga la inspiración, espero que lo siga._

_**Shiki V.** , why can{t you write in your mother language? and thank you for the lovely review!_

_**ThreeDarkAngels** , hopefully inspiration won't betray me again_

_**TiPoLover 22** , frankly, I wanna know what happens next, too. I have some random written stuff for this fic, though._

_**IdentityCrisis.03** , how did you find the manga? I loved it, but the ending... let's just say it was too weird for me._

_**karnis32** , sorry to keep you guys waiting!_

_**Lexie** , thank you, hon, it's SO good to be back. hopefully i'll stay :D_

_**Go1dSwiggle** , *for Swiggle* yes, Wendy. the badass friggin' Dragon Slayer (did you read the Tartaros arc? she becomes so effin' badass!) *for Aiden* which one didn't you see coming? *for Jack* FUCKIN' YEEEEAAAAAAAHHHH (bangs head) *for the rest of your personalities, my personalities thank you for taking the time to read/review!_

_**Alice** , *blush* thank you!_

_**Sketcher1994** , awwww, *rubs nose on cheeks* thank you!_

__All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)__

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

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**Chapter 2: I have no idea what I'm doing...**

The hour was very late when Gajeel got home with a sleeping Wendy on the back seat of his car. He gently placed his arms under her tiny body, lifting her with ease and placing her on his shoulder. He grabbed her bags next and went inside his house, realizing with shock he didn't have a room readied for her. Gajeel pondered for a moment, then decided to let her sleep with him that night and go shopping in the morning. He rubbed a palm over his face, thinking if he should take a shower or not, since he wasn't sleeping alone in his bed and he drove around six hours that day. A few moments later, Gajeel got up from his chair and headed for the bathroom. After all, a lady was in the house.

So, after a well-deserved (quick) shower, he slipped into clean clothes and went to bed, carefully lying on the bed. Once tiny Wendy felt a body next to her, she turned around and cuddled under his arm, Gajeel looking very flustered at her, not knowing what to do. He moved her a bit so he could sit better and let her sleep on his arm.

Morning came faster for Gajeel's liking, something pushing on him.

"Gaaajeeeeel. Hey, Gaaaajeeeeel. Wake up!" The little girl was pushing his with her small hands, trying to shake him awake. Gajeel grunted and turned over, tumbling Wendy over. When he realized the child was behind him and he knocked her over, he got up suddenly, fumbling on her legs.

"Sorry! Are you OK? Did I hurt you?" He checked her legs, turning them over, Wendy giggling.

"You're tickling me!"

"Sorry…" Gajeel retreated his hands and let Wendy get into a sitting position. "What time is it?" He looked around for his phone, groaning loudly when he noticed the time. "Are you serious? Kid… It's Sunday. We don't have to get up _this_ early. It's 6:30!" The raven haired man slumped back on his pillow, closing his eyes.

"But I'm hungry! And I have to pee!" Wendy placed her small hands between her legs, bouncing on the bed. Gajeel groaned again.

"Okay, okay…" He got up and led the little girl to the bathroom, waiting for her outside. A sharp yelp made him burst through the door. "What?"

"I fell in the toilet…" Wendy's legs were dangling over the toilet seat, trying to get herself out. Gajeel hurried to her, placing his hands gently under her arms and pulling her from the toilet. Once she was out, he burst into laughter, making Wendy pout.

"I guess we should buy you a smaller toilet seat." He giggled, ruffling her hair. "Wash your teeth." He placed himself with his back on her, doing his morning business.

"I don't have a brush." _Crap._

"Then wash your face, to scare the sleep away." Wendy obliged. Gajeel joined her a moment later, washing his face and teeth in a hurry. He then proceeded to the kitchen, Wendy following him like a puppy. "Oh, right, I didn't introduce myself, sorry… I'm…"

"Gaaajeel." Wendy said simply, taking a seat on one of the stools. Gajeel looked stunned at her for a moment, the girl continuing. "I heard Natsu and Juvia call you that."

"It's just 'Gajeel'."

"Gajeel?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Milk and toast."_That's simple enough_.

"I'm making myself an omelet, want some?"

"Yeah! Can I help?" Wendy asked suddenly, taking Gajeel by surprise.

"You can cook?"

"Not really, but daddy let me beat the eggs whenever he made omelet." She jumped off her chair and pushed it next to the counter where Gajeel placed a couple of eggs, a bowl and a fork. He watched Wendy intently as she broke the eggs carefully, let the egg fall in the bowl and place aside the shell, then continued with the next few eggs. Gajeel was impressed. Wendy was sloppy in her beating the eggs, but even so, Gajeel was drinking her up. A few minutes later, she turned to him with a proud smile.

"You take care of the frying part."

"Good job, kid!" Gajeel grabbed the bowl and placed the eggs on the heated pan, letting Wendy go back to the table. A few minutes later, the two were enjoying their food.

"I noticed you don't have… stuff, so I was thinking if you'd like to go shopping with me." Wendy's face lit up.

"Yeah!"

"Do you know what you need? Cuz I'm… new at this whole… taking care of a kid. So I'm gonna need your help."

"Sure!" They finished breakfast and got dressed for shopping.

"I think we should buy a bed… So the furniture store is first."

"You already have a bed." She said innocently as they got inside the car, Gajeel placing the seatbelt over her.

"I do, but _you_ don't."

"I can sleep in your bed. It's big enough." Gajeel snorted. _She's a smart one._

"It is big enough, but don't you want your own room, like the rest of the kids?"

"Not really…"

"We could decorate it with princess stickers and stuff like that."

"I don't like princesses. They always need someone to help them. I can take care of myself."

"Hoo… We'll see about that."

"I don't want decorations, I just… wanna sleep with you…" Wendy said in a small voice, looking away. "There were no more nightmares last night…" Gajeel snapped his eyes to her pouting form, thinking hard. _Well, we can always go buy her a bed of she changes her mind…_

"OK, then." Wendy's face lit up. "Whenever you get tired of sleeping next to me, we can go buy a bed for you. Until then, you can sleep with me. Is that ok with you?"

"Yeah!"

"Let's go shopping, then!" He got into the driver's seat and drove to the mall, in search of a shop. Once they got there, Wendy took him by the hand willingly, making Gajeel blush and look around. _Damn, I look like a dad_… He thought embarrassed, but let her hold his hand. They soon found a big enough shop, where they could search for clothes.

"What do you need?" He asked Wendy, who looked around in awe.

"Panties, socks, t-shirt, pajamas, pants, sneakers, tooth brush."

"And skirts."

"No, we're not allowed with skirts at kindergarten." _Fuck, I totally forgot I have to work! What do normal parents do? Day care? Baby sitter? _Gajeel was starting to panic, knowing the next day he would have to work. He grabbed his phone, texted his boss, telling him he would take a day or two off, then continued his shopping day.

"Here we go!" Gajeel noticed the children clothing area, pulling Wendy along. _Wow… Were there always these many kids around the mall?_ He noticed half of the customers were mothers with children. "Choose whatever you like." Wendy smiled widely and ran through the mannequins. She stopped once she found t-shirts, pulling one and looking at it. "What's your size?" Gajeel asked her.

"I dunno…" _Perfect… Now what?_ He noticed a couple of mothers turn their kids around and place the clothes on their backs, taking the size. He lowered himself to Wendy's level, mimicking the other mothers. _God, I feel stupid… I don't even know what I'm doing… Is this the right size? What should I see? _Gajeel felt embarrassed by the whole situation, but continued sizing the clothes Wendy picked. Soon he started to notice the difference between clothes that would fit his sister and smaller ones. An hour later, Gajeel was holding a few bags in one hand, Wendy happily dangling on the other one.

"You need shoes, too." They continued shopping, Gajeel being thankful Wendy wasn't a picker. Whatever she eyed was perfect, so they didn't linger much. "We should go shopping for dinner, too." The raven haired realized he had almost nothing edible for a child. They spent the next few hours grocery shopping.

"Wanna go eat something?" Gajeel asked, feeling his stomach grumble.

"Yeah!"

"What will it be?"

"Food." Gajeel puffed a laughter, offering his hand and leading Wendy at a Chinese restaurant inside the mall.

Lunch passed in a blur, the two heading home very tired after their full day. Wendy fell asleep almost instantly after Gajeel strapped the seat belt on her, the pierced man smiling fondly once he checked her in the mirror. He drove them home, taking the shopping bags inside quickly before tending to the sleeping girl in his car. Once his hands were free, he hurried to Wendy, pulling her gently from the car and taking her to bed. After watching her a few seconds, he decided to take a nap, as well.

**TBC**

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****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	3. Chapter 3: Being a father is hard

_**Author's note**: I hope everybody had a wonderful time during the winter holidays. It was nothing fancy for us, just a quiet Christmas with my family. Baked some cakes, cookies and other cavity forming sweets lol. _

_**Guest (s)** , I hope I'll make you feel, as well mwahahahahaha_

_**gajevyiscanon** , Greek, huh? thank you!_

_**Guest** , he's great in the manga, too, how he takes care of Wendy from time to time. Even though he keeps his tough guy image. As for Wendy and nightmares, kids are very sensible. I'll explain what she was dreaming about in the next chapters._

_**Go1dSwiggle** , hey, y'all! glad you dropped by again! all of you! an OC, huh, never thought about that, but it's a start lol. And Swiggle, no need to apologize! Now all of you GIMME A HUG!_

_**Sketcher1994** , *wraps her arms around twice* tight hug!_

_**Lexie** , yep, VERY awkward. and yep, VERY mommy mwahahahahaaaahaha_

_**oxybry** , thank you! glad you like it!_

_**Silverwolf** **Bombarda** , I laughed so hard picturing you yelling HOLY FUCKING SHIT! and then all sparkles and blushies when you say 'awww, so cute...' _

_**IdentityCrisis.03 **, mmyeah, my toddler fell into the toilet one time. his face was priceless, not knowing what to do, cry or get scared. I laughed so hard, then he started laughing. and it's always nice to see the kids grow up, going their own path._

_**ThreeDarkAngels** , (not just one angel, boom, instant badass!), thank you!_

_**TiPoLover 22** , in a few chapters, no worries._

_**ItscalledLove** , we shall see about the crying part *rubs chin dramatically*_

_**Shiki.V** , lol, well you should continue learning it, you keep your brain for ever young when you learn a new foreign language. Also, Wendy doesn't have stuff, Gajeel's mom gave him everything Wendy had when he left with her._

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Being a father is hard**

Gajeel woke up before Wendy, looking confused around his room. He glanced at his phone, deciding to get up after seeing what time it was. _So refreshed after just one hour of sleep? I should take naps more often._ He smiled fondly at the little girl, tiptoeing out of the room a moment later.

He decided to do some laundry, since Wendy didn't have any clean clothes for the next day, so he set the washing machine and placed all her new clothes inside. Once he was done, Gajeel went to the living room, opened his laptop and started seaching for information on how to get a kid into kindergarten. _Damn... This is harder than i thought..._ He rubbed his stubby chin, pondering hard. _So… It takes about 10 working days to review a file… I can't take that much time off from work…_

"God damn it!" He slammed his fist on the coffee table in frustration after about half an hour of searching kindergartens close to home. Gajeel rubbed his temples for a long moment, trying to calm down. Suddenly, he remembered one of his working colleagues was a mother. He lunged for his phone, searching through his phone book with hope. His eyes lit up once Gajeel saw her name. He clicked the name and placed the phone on his ear, waiting.

"Hey, Sally, sorry to bother you… I… kinda have a problem…" Gajeel told her Wendy's story, talking to the woman for more than half an hour.

"So, you say there are temporary nurseries? Uh, huh… I see… Thanks a lot, I owe you one." Gajeel quickly searched the net for temporary nurseries, smiling contently when he found several nurseries close to home. _All I gotta do now is find a permanent one._ He wrote down what he needed, placed the paper away and stretched, a few shy steps making him turn to his left.

"Hey, you! Slept well?" Wendy nodded and hurried to his side. "I got good news. I found a nursery for ya. It's temporary, though."

"What's _temporary_?" Wendy asked confused, cocking her head to a side.

"Temporary is something that's not permanent."

"What's _permanent_?"

"It's… Uh…" Gajeel cracked his head, thinking of a good explanation. "When… you go for a very long time in the same place, like at least till you get old enough for school. And _temporary_ is when you go for a little while. You get it?" Wendy nodded again, hurrying to Gajeel and making herself comfortable on his leg, cuddling on his chest. Gajeel smiled warmly, placing a protective arm around her small frame. "You weren't like this when I first met ya. You hardly talked, and now…" He snorted.

"The rest didn't want to listen what I had to say. They just wanted me to go away." Gajeel saddened a bit, not knowing how to answer.

"They're not so bad… They were going through a tough time, they were hurting just like you."

"They were?"

"Yeah. Dad was loved by many. It's painful when a loved one dies."

"Why do people die?"

"Kid, you ask some difficult questions, you know that?" He smiled at her. "No one really knows why they die, but think about it. If people wouldn't die, we'd be very crowded, now, wouldn't we?"

"I see…" She said on a thoughtful tone.

"Want a snack? We have apples."

"Yeah!" She jumped off him and hurried to the kitchen.

The rest of the day got by pretty quickly, the two going to sleep early.

The next morning, Wendy was shaking Gajeel to wake up, the pierced man opening his eyes groggily and looking around.

"Good morning!" Wendy said brightly, Gajeel merely grunting and turning over his side to try and catch some more Z's. "Wake up, Gajeel!" The girl pouted, pushing him with all her might. "We have to go see the nursery! Come on!" She jumped off the bed and headed for the bathroom while Gajeel pulled himself off the bed and shuffled heavily to the bathroom. Wendy was already brushing her teeth by the time Gajeel got to her.

"You're so slow in the morning!" Wendy complained loudly.

"And you're too energic…" He rubbed a tired palm over his face, waiting for Wendy to get out of the bathroom to do his morning ritual. "Go watch some cartoons or something till I'm done here."

"Okay!" She ran downstairs, Gajeel sighing heavily. A few minutes later, the raven haired man headed for the kitchen for breakfast, Wendy hurrying to his side to help. Half an hour later, they were getting dressed for their trip.

They had to make a few trips back and forth the nursery, since Gajeel never prepared Wendy's documents. Gajeel breathed easily at noon, when everything finally ended and Wendy was accepted into the temporary nursery.

"All I gotta do now is find you a permanent one." He ruffled her hair, Wendy grabbing his large hand and holding onto it. "Let's go home, I'm drained."

Another day went by.

The next morning, a sleepy Gajeel hit the snooze button once the alarm took off, rolling over his other side to sleep five more minutes. No luck. Wendy was already bouncing off him with too much energy, trying to wake him up.

"It's kindergarten day! Let's go!" Gajeel grunted and ripped himself off his tempting bed as Wendy bolted to the bathroom for her morning ritual. As soon as Gajeel got to the bathroom, she was already running to the stairs, heading for the TV to watch some cartoons while Gajeel got ready. Twenty minutes later, he dragged his feet down the stairs, Wendy glancing his way.

"Wow! You look like a gentleman!" The child praised his outfit, Gajeel escaping a slight blush.

"Thanks… This is what I usually wear at work, so it's not a big deal…"

"Are you a detective?" Gajeel snapped his eyes to the innocent girl, gulping guilty for a moment before composing himself.

"…No, I just have to wear a suit at the office. How do you know how a detective looks like, in the first place?"

"TV." Wendy said simply, returning her eyes to her show. Gajeel smiled impressed, heading for the kitchen to prepare breakfast. As soon as Wendy heard him shuffle about in the kitchen, she was next to him, helping out. Another twenty minutes later, they were off.

Gajeel dropped Wendy to the nursery, noticing the hurt look in her eyes just before he left for work.

"Listen…" He bent over, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. "I'm gonna be late, but I _will_ come back and we'll go home together. Okay?" Wendy nodded weakly, glomping his leg. "Be good!" Gajeel hurried out the door, almost running to work after noticing how late it was. His boss wasn't upset he was late a couple of minutes, but still, Gajeel felt anxious. He had to talk to the boss, and being late for work wasn't a good start.

The day went by slowly, Gajeel trying to figure out a way to actually talk to his boss, but never finding a simple solution. Just before closing time, he mustered up his courage and knocked on the boss office.

"Yes?" A bored voice answered him.

"Sorry to bother you… Could we talk?"

"What about, Gajeel?"

"Mr. Dreyar, I have a… problem…" He got in and took a seat after the elderly man motioned for him to sit down. He played with his hands for a moment, then told him everything about his father's death and his supposedly affair. After a long moment of silence, Makarov Dreyar cleared his throat.

"I don't wanna lose you, you're a valuable asset to this company. So I can't accept your idea of resigning. But I can move you to a different department, one that doesn't require extra hours. You'll have to manage to the runt of the runts, though." Gajeel's face lighted up.

"I can manage anything! Thank you!"

"I'll get my assistant to fill in the paperwork for your transfer, you'll have to stay put for a couple of days, a week at most. Think the little girl will manage on her own for now?"

"Yeah, she's attending a temporary nursery school for now, I'm trying to find a permanent one."

"Good luck with that. And God speed. Dismissed."

"Thank you, boss. Really. Have a good night."

"You too, Gajeel." The raven haired man hurried out the door, jogging all the way to the nursery. It was already dark by the time Gajeel got there, huffing heavily in the door frame.

"Wendy! Your father's here!" A young lady called for his little girl, Gajeel trying to explain through huffs she was his sister, not his daughter. Wendy's face brightened when she set her eyes on him, running to him with tears in her eyes. Gajeel stared completely lost as she glomped her legs with too much force, his breath calming.

"Missed me?" He asked softly, ruffling her hair. She answered with a nod, holding onto him. "Thank you, have a good night." He said to the caretakers, scooping Wendy up from his legs. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tightly. "Let's go home, kid." Wendy whimpered a small answer, cuddling in his neck. Gajeel couldn't stop the grin from spreading as he strolled calmly back to his house. It was going to be a hard and interesting journey for both of them, but he was starting to like it.

**TBC**

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****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	4. Chapter 4:ThingsAreFinallySettlingDown

_**Author's note:** It's been a long time, I know... Started watching **Free** the anime and it just... caught me... Hot boys, lots of muscles... yumyum... Also, I started reading a really good book, **Change your aura, change your life** (for gifted people and not, for the ones interested in the lighted path or just curious about spiritual stuff). I highly recommend it, I've found plenty of answers to my... abilities. I'm sure anyone who'll read it will have some sort of revelation._

_**ItsCalledLove** , *pushes the box of tissues closer* I didn't see anything... You'll have to read to find out *wink*_

_**ThreeDarkAngels** , I'm glad you love it! I hope I won't disappoint anyone by the time I finish it._

_**Go1dSwiggle** , *bulges eyes in shock* w... wait! *loses breath as everyone tackles me backwards* can't... breathe..._

_**IdentityCrisis.03** , I'm amazed how smart kids are these days. I'm an English teacher now (quit my job as a massage therapist, but I still do it at home), for kinders. And it's amazing. I love it. The kids are really energic and so bright! They outsmart me most times lol_

_**DBZRocks153** , I had them meet up a little differently, I hope you like!_

_**Guest** , glad you like it!_

_**Lexie** , I have more fluff prepared, written a few months ago, actually, bits and pieces for future chapters. I even had some scenes already drawn, not yet published. As for work... yeah, it gets in the way most of the times, especially when you have a boss that makes you feel like you're worth less than nothing and you couldn't possibly find another job if you quit. If you find such a boss, don't bother applying for a job, or, at least, don't stay too long, because you are worth something much better. Find a job you'd do with love, and the rewards will be sure to come._

_**FlyngDoll4** , and it will get better :D_

_**Sketcher1994** , *nuzzling the soft fluffy jumper, tear in eyes* this is so soft I could die a happy writer..._

_**Silverwolf Bombarda** , don't get violent on poor, innocent souls. I'm the one to blame for cliffhangers, right? _

_**Yamiyugi101** , Thank you!_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Things are finally settling down**

The next few weeks were chaotic for Gajeel, having a hard time getting ready Wendy's file and find for a permanent nursing school near home. He was feeling horrible for leaving the little girl wait for him so long, since he could only pick her up after 8 PM. Weekend was the most awaited moment of the week, when the two would go for long walks in the park or just stay at home and keep each other company.

A week passed quickly, Gajeel being transferred to another department. The first time Wendy saw his beaming face at 4:30 PM, she thought something bad had happened. But after a quick explanation and a tight hug from the girl, they were off home, with more time on their hands.

The moment Gajeel awaited the most came by a few weeks after his transfer by means of a phone call. A wide smile spread on his face as he stood up to suddenly and toppled the chair over. He nearly jumped for joy, but composed himself quickly, continuing his work. The raven haired man took a couple of hours off the next morning so he could get Wendy to kindergarten and talk to her teachers and the director. She was kind enough to give him a list of things Wendy needed for classes. An hour later, he was off to work, feeling very light.

Gajeel was on his way to pick Wendy up a few minutes after 4. As he expected, the little girl beamed at him when she saw his tall frame in the door. The teacher gave Wendy her snack and the two were on their way.

"The principal gave me a list of things you need here, wanna go shopping?" He asked after placing the small girl on his shoulders.

"Yeah!" She grabbed two handfuls of black hair and smiled widely as Gajeel headed for the car.

With the shopping done, the two headed for the park before going home, spending a few hours having fun. Later that evening, after Wendy was fast asleep, he watched her for a long moment, smiling fondly at the little girl. Everything was starting to look promising. _All I need now is a girlfriend._ He thought amused. _Shit…_ His face dropped. He forgot about that aspect. What if he, eventually, brought a woman in the house? What would Wendy say? What would the said woman say about Wendy? Would anyone really accept him with a child? Would they want to share the responsibility of raising a growing toddler?_ Too late to think about that… Well, if and when it happens, I'll handle it somehow…_ With that, he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

They quickly fell into the daily routine. Wake up early, eat breakfast, drop Wendy off to kindergarten, go to work, leave at 4, pick Wendy up and go to the park, return home and have dinner, half an hour of cartoons and sleep. Easy enough. And it happened one day.

A couple of months after they started their routine, Gajeel was called for a meeting after hours. He cursed internally, quickly contacted Wendy's teacher and apologized because he would be late that day. He couldn't really concentrate on what his boss was explaining, he merely took short notes, glancing ever so often at the clock. It was way past 7 P.M. when everyone was finally released, Gajeel bolting through the doors and running for the bus stop._ Why the fuck did I decided to leave the car home today?_ He groaned internally as he plopped heavily on an empty seat, catching his breath. Once he got off the bus, Gajeel started running through the darkened streets, huffing heavily. _Shit… Why did he have to hold a meeting after working hours?_ He huffed heavily, glancing at his watch. It was almost 8 P.M. _Late… Gotta hurry… _Just as he screeched to a halt in front of the main door, a bright voice called out to his sister.

"Wendy! Your dad's here!" The kindergarten lady smiled warmly at the child, who merely puffed.

"He's not my dad! He's my brother!" Wendy pulled on her clothes as Gajeel caught his breath in the doorway…

"Sorry… _huff_ I'm late… Meeting… _huff_" He placed his hands on his knees, trying to calm his breathing. _I'm getting soft… I should start training again… _He though between large gulps of air. Just as he finally managed to sit upright, another deep huffing made him glance his left. And that's when his breath stopped altogether. He was staring. He knew it was rude, but his eyes just couldn't look away. And he couldn't breathe, either. He watched the woman next to him lean on the door frame as she caught her breath, sweat lighting her delicate skin. He noticed she wasn't wearing makeup. And she was glowing.

"Romeo! Your mom!" Wendy's bright voice pulled Gajeel back from his reverie, glancing to his younger sister in confusement as she took his hand and waited patiently.

"Sorry… Mommy had a meeting at the office…" She whizzed between breaths as a punk kid approached the delicate woman. "Had a nice day?"

"Not really, cuz you were late!"

"Sorry…" She apologized again and offered her hand to the little kid. "Shall we go home, hon?"

"Don't call me that! I'm not a baby!" The kid flushed deep red as he glanced Wendy's way sheepishly.

"Oh, my, I forgot you're a big boy now, my apologies!" She giggled slightly, not looking Gajeel's way. She only had eyes for her son.

"See ya tomorrow, Wendy!" The kid yelled back, making his mother turn around and glance briefly at Gajeel. He hiccupped in shock, not daring to breathe, as she gave him a ghost of a smile. Then his insides became jelly. And he smiled dumbly back. Wendy looked puzzled between him and the nice lady, not understanding what was going on. At one point, she tugged on his arm, bringing him back to reality.

"Are we going?" She asked impatiently, handing Gajeel her backpack.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go…" He started walking automatically, not even realizing the blue haired woman and her kid were going the same way as Wendy and himself. "Friend of yours?" He finally said after a couple of minutes of walking in silence.

"Romeo? Not really… He's usually pretty mean to the other girls, so I punched him a couple of days ago." Wendy said in a neutral voice, Gajeel snapping his eyes at the little girl.

"You what?"

"He was being a big jerk, and he tried to pull on my hair."

"You're a scary kid, ya know that?" Gajeel chuckled softly.

"Not really… I just can't stand bullies." Wendy looked at her feet.

"You know what bullies are?"

"Yeah, I've met a few. Daddy told me about them after I told him I scratched one of the boys."

"I see… But you do know violence is not good, right?"

"Yes…" She looked away in shame.

"You didn't do anything wrong. Just try other methods before you go to violence, 'kay?" He ruffled her head briefly, then bent down and scooped her up from the ground with ease. "And I can teach you how to better protect yourself, if you wanna learn, that is. Big brother can't always take care of you, and I don't wanna worry too much about you when you're by yourself."

"Okay." She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled widely, making his own lips tug at the corners. He knew the road ahead was going to be difficult, but her smile made it all worth it. "What d'you wanna eat tonight?"

"Can I cook with you?"

"Tell you what, we're doing spaghetti and meat balls tonight and you can help me roll the meat balls. Is that OK?"

"Yeah!" Wendy beamed, hugging him tightly. Her reaction made Gajeel giddy to get home.

Thus another day passed.

**TBC**

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****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	5. Chapter 5: Family at last

_**Author's note**: Hello, peeps, and sorry for the long wait. I caught a **Sherrilyn Kenyon** bug, ya know, the** Dark Hunters** series, and I can't unglue my eyes off it. I really recommend it!_

_About the lack of activity... Well... inspiration kicks in when least expected, and doesn't wait for me to get home..._

_**rmart060** , (it's always nice to see new names) I love to make my reader feel something. But I really am sorry for causing you pain_

_**Guest** , I'm trying to. I keep holding onto my inspiration for dear life..._

_**yamiyugi101** , brain freeze... this is why I hate genealogy... but, hey, if they're not related by blood, I don't find it weird... (much) compared to **Usagi's Drop** ending, this is better (I hope)_

_**Aquacharles** , *pushes the tissue box closer* no worries, I'll make Romeo closer to the manga version_

_**Whispurr10** , I hope you liked them. And, believe me, I hate to keep you guys waiting, but inspiration has its moments..._

_**FlyingDoll04** , :D back at ya_

_**Lexie** , yep, it is hell. plus not even the rewards are the same. and shhh, don;t spoil it for the people *.~_

_**DBZRocks153** , shhhhh, don't tell anyone!_

_**Sketcher1994** , can't... breathe... too tight... I hope you got the jumper washed, a fluffy hug is much better than a squeeze hug :D_

_**ThreeDarkAngels** , thank you!_

_**Go to bed** , excuse me, Gajeel, didn't realize you liked reading about yourself :D glad you liked it!_

_**It'sCalledLove**, Mashima's the one to blame for making Wendy cute. and hiding Gajeel's sweet character under all that brass (well, iron). *jumps together* yes! a lovely entrance for a lovely woman! and, please, I feed off my readers' tears, so I will make you guys cry again **mwahahahahahahhahaha**_

_**maybicbot** and **deathflower42 **, it depends on the mood, how much I wanna write. sorry for the shorter chapters, but I figured better less than nothing..._

_**hinalover281** , I know, the wait kills you guy, but I can't help it..._

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Family at last**

Minutes turn to hours, hours turn to days, days turn to weeks. One quiet weekend, Gajeel receives a call.

Wendy was watching her morning cartoon show when she noticed Gajeel look strangely at his cell before answering. She turned her attention back to the TV when Gajeel hurried out the room.

"Hello?" He answered confused.

"_Hey, Gajeel…_" Rose, his mother, replied shyly. There were a few moments of silence.

"What's up?" The man asked.

"_Nothing, really, just wanted to check in, see how you've been… Is the girl OK?"_

"Wendy?" He was surprised. "Uhm… Yeah, she's fine. We're both fine, actually. She's attending nursery school."

"_Good, good, education is important._" Another long pause.

"Mom, why did you call?" Gajeel asked impatiently, remembering everything from his father's funeral.

"_I'm sorry, is this a bad time?_" He flinched, hearing the hurt in his mother's voice.

"…Not really, we were getting ready for breakfast." He took a seat in the kitchen.

"_Oh… Sorry to bother you, then…"_

"Mom, really now. It's no bother. Why did you call?" She sighed heavily.

"_I was wondering if… you'd like to come and visit me… together with… Wendy, of course… Natsu wanted to get the family together, we all talked about it and we feel… We'd like to apologize to you and Wendy. And welcome her officially to the family."_ Gajeel almost dropped the phone hearing these words coming from his own mother. He never heard her apologize to anyone before, even when she knew she was wrong. Her pride was bigger than his own, and she was stubborn as a mule and beyond. "_It'll be just your siblings and me. We all… miss you… You can come today, I already got a couple of rooms ready for you and Wendy, and I was rummaging through the attic and found some of Juvia's baby clothes, maybe Wendy would like some, they're in good shape, just a little dusted and…"_

"Mom, mom. Wait, slow down." Gajeel waited for Rose to calm down and listen to him. "First of all, I have to ask Wendy if she wants to visit you."

"_Oh._" She said with disappointment. Then, she snorted. "_You're better at this than I ever thought possible."_

"Uhm… right…" Rose stung his son without realizing. "I guess it's nice to see your son is not a total disappointment."

"_No, wait, I didn't mean…"_

"I get it, really, I do. Uhm…" Gajeel felt his insides burning. "I'm not sure we'll be able to come by today… Or tomorrow. Or ever, for that matter." He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead on the doorframe.

"_I upset you, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"_

"You never mean it. You just… don't think what comes out of your mouth, that's all…" He said bitterly.

"_Please, Gajeel… I… We want you back…" _There was a long pause before anyone said another word. "_Gajeel? Are you still there?"_

"Yeah, yeah… We'll… think about it. Thanks for the offer." Gajeel pushed himself from the door frame and headed for the fridge.

"_Okay…"_ She said with disappointment. _"Well, if you decide on coming today, gimme a call, 'kay?"_

"Sure thing." Gajeel turned his phone off and opened the fridge to make breakfast.

"Who was that?" Wendy came behind Gajeel, surprising him.

"No one. What do you want for breakfast?"

"You're upset." The little girl said a-matter-of-fact.

"What makes you say that?" The man tried to fake a smile, but he just couldn't. Wendy just stared at him with an unreadable face, then proceeded to glomping his long legs. "Wow, what's with the glomp attack, kid?" Even after a couple of months, he still felt awkward whenever Wendy would express her affection.

"You looked like you needed a hug." Gajeel stared. The little girl knew him better than he ever thought. "You did that thing with your eyebrows, and I know that you need a hug then." She explained simply after noticing his confusion, activating a smile.

"Thanks… You take better care of me than most people around me." The man ruffled her hair affectionately. They proceeded next to make breakfast. They were eating when Wendy sighed heavily and spoke.

"I'm sorry…" This brought Gajeel back from his thoughts, looking at the girl with curiosity.

"What for?"

"I musta' done something to upset you, even though I don't remember, so… I'm sorry…" She said again, lowering her eyes.

"You didn't do anything wrong!" He raised his voice suddenly, startling the little girl. "Adults sometimes have other things on their minds, I can't be happy all the time!" Wendy's lip started quivering and her eyes filled. "Shit… Sorry, I got a little carried away…" He ruffled Wendy's hair and lowered his voice, then sighed heavily. "You wanna know why I'm upset?" She nodded shyly, making Gajeel to sigh again. "My mother called." Wendy was quietly looking at him, trying to remember who his mother was.

"The lady that wanted to give me away?"

"Yeah… Listen, I'm not gonna lie to you, ever. No matter what. And, sometimes, truth will hurt, but a lie hurts more." He paused again to collect his thoughts. "She wanted us to come and visit her, said she wants to apologize to you and me. They all wanna welcome you to the family. If you don't wanna go, it's no probl…"

"Let's go!" Gajeel snapped his eyes to Wendy.

"Wh… what?"

"Let's go!" Her eyes were sparkling.

"Are you sure? They were kinda…"

"Well, you said they're not bad people, so I trust you." Gajeel's words stopped in his throat. He stared at her innocent face and felt like a new man. "So, let's go."

"Okay. Let's pack some stuff." Wendy jumped off her chair with a loud 'YAAAAY' and hurried to their room to get the pack done. An hour later, they were driving to Rose's place, a wide smile plastered on their faces.

A few hours later, Gajeel was pulling the car inside the garage, his mother waiting in the door. She smiled widely once Gajeel met her eyes, Wendy hiding behind the tall man as they got off the car.

"You came!" Rose hugged her son, who merely patted her awkwardly on the back with one hand, the other claimed by the little girl. "Thank you. I thought… Well, never mind. I see a little angel behind your back. Hello there." Wendy stuffed her head in Gajeel's pants, holding onto him for dear life.

"Wendy, at least answer the lady if you won't come out." Gajeel tried to pull her out, but she wouldn't budge.

"…Hello…" Wendy said in a small voice, Gajeel and Rose smiling widely.

"My name is Rose." The woman bended to the child's level and extended her hand. Wendy peeked at her, then at her hand, and stretched shyly her own.

"I'm… Wendy…"

"Well, that went fine, let's get inside, I don't wanna push her too much." Gajeel said in a stiff voice, scooping Wendy up and the luggage before heading for the house.

"Sure. One step at a time." Rose followed them and closed the door.

"Where's everybody?" Gajeel asked as he set Wendy down.

"Juvia should be home any minute now, she had work today. I sent Natsu grocery shopping." Rose followed Wendy to the living room, turning the TV on for the girl. "Are you guys hungry?"

"Wendy?" Gajeel addressed his infant sister, receiving an energic nod. "We could use some grub." The tall man headed for the kitchen, Wendy quickly following him.

"_Just help your selves with whatever you want. I'll be up here preparing your rooms."_ Rose's voice could be heard from upstairs.

"Just one, Wendy sleeps with me." Gajeel pulled a pan from the fridge and placed the food in the two plates Wendy handed him.

Half an hour later, a stuffed Wendy went for a nap, Gajeel staying with Rose in the kitchen.

"Thank you for coming, Gajeel." He grunted and sipped his beer. Rose took his hand, startling his son. "I'm sorry I've been such a…" She sighed heavily and looked at him intently. "I've been a bad mother, I know, but I wanna make it up to you and your siblings."

"You've never been a bad mother… A little distracted, yes, maybe cold sometimes, but not bad." Gajeel patted her wrinkled hand, kissing her head.

"I've been bad to Wendy… I was just so furious when your father brought her home without and explanation… I guess I took it out on her." She sighed again.

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses."

"I'm too old to take care of her, but I'm glad you offered to be her guardian. After you left, I thought about the whole thing… Jose kept babbling his usual crap, how worthless you are, but it dawned upon me. You were more righteous than any of us combined." She gulped. "Just like your father…" A few tears escaped down her cheeks, Gajeel placing a comforting hand on her head.

"Remember what dad used to say? Doing the right thing is always the hardest. But it's worth more than anything else. I'm serious about raising her. I was scared shitless the first few days, but now I can't see myself without her." Rose smiled.

"Wait till you have your own kid, that feeling is gonna get stronger." It was Gajeel's turn to smile. "Does this mean I'll get to see you more often?"

"I dunno, mom. If Wendy likes it here, I won't keep her from visiting."

"You really are a grown man, aren't you?" Rose said fondly.

"Well, I _am_ thirty. I guess I should've grown up sometimes."

"I'm glad you did."

"I'm hoooome!" Natsu's voice interrupted their moment.

"Keep your voice down, Wendy's sleeping!" Gajeel snapped at his brother.

"Oh, he came. Look who I found in the supermarket." Juvia came in, holding a couple of bags, just like her brother.

"Gajeel!" The blue haired woman hurried to hug him, Gajeel taking the bags from her hands.

"Hey, sis."

"What, I'm not even here?" Natsu crossed his arms, feigning indignation.

"Did someone say something?" Gajeel joked, holding Juvia in his arms as Natsu slapped him playfully on his bicep. "Glad to see you're still an idiot."

"Right back at ya." Natsu waved him to place the groceries on the kitchen counter.

They spent the next few hours chatting and having a good time. Wendy woke up on the sound of laughter, her curiosity taking over her. So she got off the bed, used the bathroom quickly and went down the stairs quietly. She crouched at the base of the stairs to watch Gajeel and his family laugh. As if sensing someone staring at the back of his head, Gajeel turned to Wendy, his smile never fading.

"Hey, you! Come on, no one's biting." Wendy gulped, then ran to the raven haired man, glomping his side. "These people here wanted to know you better. What do you say?" She buried her head in his ribs.

"Hello." Her muffled voice could be heard.

"The pink haired crazy dude over there is Natsu." Gajeel pointed to his brother.

"Hey!" Natsu said outraged, making the women smile.

"Juvia's your older sister." Gajeel proceeded to his sister, Wendy raising her eyes slowly. "You can sit down with us, if you wanna. Are you hungry?" Wendy shook her head before claiming Gajeel's lap. He smiled sheepishly at his family. "She's never been so shy before. At home I can't get her to shut up." He laughed lightly, Wendy scowling at him.

"That's saying something about her. She trusts you." Rose said fondly. "I have something for you, Wendy. They were Juvia's when she was your age, and she agreed to give them to you. Wanna come with me?" The woman extended her hand to the child, waiting for her to take it. Wendy looked at Gajeel, who nodded in encouragement, then took Rose's hand and let the woman lead her somewhere upstairs.

The next few hours and day were spent with plenty of laughter, games and good time. Rose took pictures of Wendy trying on every piece of clothing that fit her, then wrapped the carefully and placed them in a bag so the little girl could take them home. Wendy didn't talk too much, getting accustomed with her brothers and step mother, but realized they weren't bad people.

Time flew by and Gajeel and Wendy had to go back home. They hugged everybody and got in the car, Gajeel starting the engine. Rose could see Wendy talking to his older son, his face puzzled for a moment before a warm smile spread on his face. So he lowered the window.

"Hey, mom. Wendy asked me if she can come visit again." Rose's chest filled and her throat tightened, tears threatening to spill.

"Of course! Anytime she wants! You two are welcomed any hour of the day!" Wendy burst into a bright smile, then waved energically at Rose and her two siblings, the Gajeel waved and drove off.

"You were right." Wendy said a couple of hours later. Gajeel looked puzzled in the mirror. "They're not bad people. I like them." The tall man smiled warmly and drove home, feeling like a weight lifted from his chest.

**TBC**

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****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	6. Chapter 6: Complicated affairs

_**Author's Note:** Hey, guys... Thank you for still sticking up around, even though I update so slowly these days... I still love ya all!_

_**Maddx** , the action is already written and sketched,actually, but I have to connect the pieces before I spoil the fun for y'all._

_**EmmyHippo** , well, I'm glad I'm making you feel something. and I'll add more info about Levy, no worries._

_**Dvel** , *blink blink* oh, she'll show up more, if you know what i mean *wink*. Gajeel is my favorite, too. and Mashima is bent on making me love him more... gosh, he's now a friggin' royal army captain! pleasepleaseplease, go read the manga, it's so freaking awesome I'm gonna cry from happiness..._

_**Sketcher1994** , how hot is it? we're barely to 20 degrees Celsius... I want summer! I want heat! I want summer breeze and summer showers! and water baloon fights with mah boy! and,yes, we're more than OK, thank the divine help._

_**guest** , aleluya! un hablante! muchísimas gracias para el comentario! no sabe cuanto lo agradezco! también gracias por leer mis fics, ya estoy traduceindo** The Dragon Tamer - El Domador del Dragón** , pero es mucho más difícil que creí... ya tengo un medio capítulo traducido (el primero jaja...) pero estoy atrascada (espero que esta es la expresión correcta). la idea con el supermercado ya fue escrita hace un rato, también tengo escrito algo del ex-marido de Levy, pero la inspiración me alude. muchísimas gracias de nuevo, por favor, cuando tiene ganas, me puede dejar un comentario. abrazos fuertes!_

_**Lexie** , Hristos a inviat, my darling!_

_**ThreeDarkAngels** , **SkyDrago02** , **xxrisxx** , thank youuuuu!_

_**Aquacharles** , true, it´s starting to feel like a brotherly love, rather than a fatherly one, but you get to an age when you start raising a kid like your own flesh and blood, no matter what the bloodline you have. thank you!_

_**FairyTailF.T** , hmmm, we~~~~~~ll... I guess I'll have to leave you hanging till they're old enough to even think about stuff like that, now, won't we? *evil laugh*_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Complicated affairs**

It's safe to say that Wendy befriended the little punk kid Romeo and she would talk about him non-stop. Some days he would make Wendy very mad that she would tell on Gajeel as soon as he would arrive to take her home. Gajeel would glare at the little boy just to please Wendy, but he wasn't really fond of scaring kids. Even if a certain kid kept making Wendy mad.

And from what she told him, the kid was pretty decent, protecting her from older punks who loved to make fun of girls and pull on their hair.

It's been a couple of months since Gajeel took custody of Wendy, and the end of the school year was closing in. He got everything ready to take the little girl with him at work for the summer, and let her have fun in the company's nursery.

But a few months before the end of the school year, something happened.

* * *

Gajeel had a meeting after hours, so he was running late again. Since he had a few days' notice, he got a chance to let Wendy know he would be late, so she wouldn't worry. So he jogged calmly to the nursery school, enjoying the nice weather.

"Wendy, pick up!" One of the caretakers yelled after the little girl as soon as they spotted Gajeel. He smiled as a thank you, taking his bottle of water out of his backpack and catching his breath. He almost dropped his water as soon as he spotted a blue haired woman, dressed in knee shorts, t-shirt and sneakers. She kept her hair tied with an orange bandana, matching her backpack and her sneakers.

"Hey, Gajeel! Oh, Romeo's mom. ROMEO!" Wendy yelled after her friend, almost ignoring her older brother. "Good evening, Romeo's mom!" Wendy went to hug the blue haired lady, Gajeel still staring.

"I thought I told you to call me Levy, right? And good evening to you, too." She hugged Wendy and returned her attention to her own child. "Hi, honey!" She nuzzled his cheek briefly, Romeo trying to squirm out of her grip with a scorching blush.

"Moooom…" He complained loudly, Levy releasing him a moment later.

"Oh, come now, Wendy knows us both, so stop acting all shy." Romeo glanced sheepishly at Gajeel, Levy finally noticing him on the chair. Wendy quickly went to him and pulled on his hand to get up, Gajeel looking puzzled at the little girl. Only when he realized she was heading to the woman called Levy did he start to panic.

"O… oi, kid…"

"This is my Gajeel. He's actually my big brother, but everyone calls him my dad, but my dad is dead, so he's not my dad." Gajeel's ears reddened as Wendy released his large hand.

"Oh, the infamous Gajeel. Romeo keeps talking about you, he says you can skin people alive with your glare." The bluenette smiled warmly, extending her hand. "Levy Mc'Garden."

"Gajeel Redfox." The raven haired man shook her small hand, realizing how tall he really was next to her.

"You're supposed to say _pleased to meet you_. That's what teacher told us." Wendy pulled on his pants, clearly upset he didn't used the greeting properly. _That's an understatement, kid…_ Gajeel thought, grinning.

"It's an honor to meet you. Wendy keeps talking about the two of you. I think she has a crush on Romeo." He got closer to the woman as he whispered. Levy giggled.

"It's mutual, believe me." She made a shushing move, Gajeel feigning he closed his mouth and threw the key. For some reason, he couldn't keep his eyes off her. So when Wendy pulled on his pants again, he almost jumped.

"I'm hungry! Are we going?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go." Gajeel scooped Wendy up and held the door open for Romeo and his mom, then bid them farewell. A few hundred yards away, Levy turned and noticed Gajeel behind her, the raven haired man noticing they were going the same way. "Am I following your boyfriend?" He asked Wendy, who puffed.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Gajeel laughed. "You're horrible!" He laughed even harder, Romeo turning his head and noticing the two behind. So he pulled his hand from Levy, ignoring her upset cries, and went to Gajeel.

"Are you following my mom?" The little boy squeezed his fists, glaring at the taller man. Gajeel snorted, amused.

"I'm just going home, kid."

"Told ya I live close to you." Wendy tongued her friend, making him puff.

"Moooom! Wendy tongued me!" He scurried off to his mother, who merely laughed.

"Sorry, we're not following you guys." Gajeel apologized to the bluenette. "My house is up ahead, it's number 178."

"Oh, you're…four houses ahead of us." Levy realized.

"Can Romeo come and play from time to time?" Wendy asked the short woman, who stared at her.

"Uhm, we'll see." They walked in silence after that.

The next few days, Gajeel picked Wendy up at the usual hour, sometimes not spotting Romeo. He asked his sister about her friend, Wendy answering truthfully that his mother came three days a week about half an hour sooner than Gajeel to pick Romeo up, and the other two days she was really late, picking him up after 7 o'clock. So he tried picking Wendy up earlier just to see if they would meet again.

Sure enough, after a few weeks of failed attempts, Gajeel finally matched his schedule with Romeo's mother, walking home every couple of days. Soon enough, this became a pattern.

One day, as they were heading home, Romeo kept his eyes to the ground as the two adults chatted happily. Wendy was, as always, propped on his shoulders, holding onto his long hair. Gajeel was laughing at something Levy said when Romeo grabbed his large hand, stopping Gajeel's laughter. He quickly pulled his hand away, blushing terribly.

"Sorry…" Romeo mumbled, hiding his face in his mother's office skirt.

"Wendy, move over." Gajeel moved the small girl, making space for the young boy. So he scooped his surprised form and placed him on his right shoulder, Wendy on his left one. "You can just say so if you want up here." Gajeel told the kid, who merely fisted his long hair, looking straight ahead.

"Romeo, what do you say?" Levy asked soothingly, watching Gajeel with awe.

"…Thank you…" Romeo said in a small voice, looking away from a smiling Wendy.

"Anytime, brat."

"Hey!" They all laughed lightly, walking home together.

* * *

The end of the school year was upon them, the two children and their respective guardians getting closer. As late spring brought warm weather, Wendy asked Levy and Romeo to come and have lunch with them each weekend, Gajeel being terribly flustered at first, but accepting Wendy's idea after a fully puppy eye attack. At first, the bluenette refused, knowing Romeo was a very active boy and she couldn't (and wouldn't) control him fully. But, alas, the puppy eye attack never fails.

So each weekend, the four would enjoy a day together, Levy and Gajeel being very shy at first, just calmly watching the kids play in the yard.

This is how the two started talking more, Gajeel finding out Levy was having a hard time finding a babysitter for the summer for Romeo, since he wasn't really easy on outsiders. Especially when it came to outsiders who tried to leash him. So Levy complained how he kept pulling nasty pranks on the sitters she found for him.

"Well, I got Wendy to stay with me at the office. They have a nursery there, so if you wanna… I mean, if you need help with him, I can talk to my boss, see if…"

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly burden you like this!" Levy quickly realized what she said and felt horrible for making Gajeel offer himself like that.

"No, really. It's no burden. He's a nice kid."

"You're the only one who said such a thing…" Levy smiled bitterly, making Gajeel curious. "Even his teachers complain about him, saying he's really violent with other kids, and he really hates doing what the teachers say… I know he's a bit more active than others, but…"

"Nonsense! Wendy loves him! That means something, since she's not really sociable. She told me your kid was the only one to come and play with her, even though she kept to herself in a corner. And did you know he beat up some older kids who made fun of her after everyone found out she's an orphan? Plus all the boys love to pull on her hair. I was about to go to a hair stylist with her and get it cut just so the other kids would let her alone, but then Wendy tells him all about my plan and he comes all mad at me and blows me away when he says _Why do you hate Wendy? She's has beautiful hair, like my mom, so why do you wanna take it off her head?_." Levy laughed, imagining her son doing just that. "Didn't even realize Wendy didn't want her hair cut off. He's pretty amazing for a kid." Gajeel jumped from his seat, running to Romeo, who got stuck in a tree. Levy was left to stare at her neighbor. His words touched her deeply. A few moments later, Gajeel returned, offering her a beer from the ice box.

"Thanks. I'll… think about your offer."

"I bet they would be happier if they spent the summer together." Levy hummed in agreement. Thus another blissful weekend passed.

* * *

A few days later, Gajeel and Wendy were getting ready for dinner, when his phone started ringing. Gajeel looked puzzled at the ID, answering a moment later.

"Hey, Juvia, what's up?" Wendy looked at his brother, motioning to take the phone from his grip to talk to Juvia. "Wendy, get off, I'm on the phone! Wait a sec, sis."

"I wanna talk to big sis!" Wendy kept bouncing up and down.

"In a moment, let me talk to her first." Wendy settled down. "Okay, what's up?" He listened a few moments, then asked surprised. "Say that again?"

"_I said can I stay with you for a few days? I… had a fight with my boyfriend and I don't want to stress mom out."_

"Yeah, sure… Come on over."

"_Thanks. I'll be there in a few hours."_

"I'll get the guest room ready. Drive safe." Gajeel turned his phone off, then turned to Wendy. "Big sis is gonna stay with us for a few days." Wendy's face lit up, then dashed out of the kitchen to the guest room.

* * *

Juvia parked the car in the driveway a few hours later, Gajeel making a shushing move.

"Wendy's sleeping, so keep it down." He grabbed the only pack she had and followed her to the house.

"So… Wanna talk about it?" Gajeel asked after she was settled in the kitchen. Juvia looked away.

"Not really, no…"

"What did that idiot Gray do this time?" He pushed, handing the ocean haired woman a beer.

"I just wanna crash for the night, I'm not in the mood to talk." Juvia turned down the beer with a sigh, then got up and headed for the guest room. Gajeel let her be and went to bed himself.

* * *

The next day, Gajeel and Juvia picked Wendy up, the little girl glomping her older sister with happiness. They next proceeded to the supermarket, shopping for dinner. Just as Wendy and Juvia disappeared from Gajeel's sight as he was browsing for dinner ingredients, a bright voice pulled him from the bag of turkey wings.

"Gajeel! What a lovely surprise! Good eve…" Levy stopped mid track, seeing the busty woman get closer to Gajeel.

"Which one do you want, Gajeel?" The woman demanded his attention. The tall man saw the hurt look on Levy's face, panicking slightly as Juvia was getting closer to him.

"Levy! Hi! This is not what you think!" Gajeel said quickly, looking flustered between Levy and Juvia. He got his sister's attention, looking up from her products to glance at the short woman in front of them. She sized Levy up, then Gajeel's flustered form, a wicked smile tugging on her lips.

"I wasn't thinking anything, sorry if I made you…" Levy tried to excuse herself.

"NO, no! it's fine, really!" _Why the hell am I excusing myself for?_

"So nice to meet you, Levy! I'm Juvia, Gajeel's younger sister. He's told me a lot about you." Juvia glanced over Gajeel, who blushed angrily.

"He… did?" Levy looked flustered at the pierced man, who merely argued.

"I did _not_!" Gajeel said outraged, noticing the hurt look on Levy's face. "I mean… Not much… since I've got Wendy… I don't usually talk with my family about my personal life… I'm just gonna shut up now, since I'm only making it worse." Gajeel blushed and looked away, searching for Wendy. Juvia laughed, returning to Levy.

"Excuse my brother, he's very shy, despite his fearsome look."

"I noticed."

"Nice to meet you." She extended her hand to the bluenette, Levy shaking it with a smile.

"You too."

"Hey, mom, look who I just found!" Romeo ran to his mother, holding Wendy by the hand.

"Hey, brat, thanks for finding my sister." Gajeel ruffled his head, Romeo pouting.

"I'm not a brat!"

"Wendy, what did I tell you about disappearing on me?" The pierced man scolded the child, who looked innocently at him.

"There was this lady that gave free samples of cheese, and it was really good, and I got one, here!" Wendy handed him the good.

"How much?"

"Uhm… This much!" Wendy showed him four fingers. "I asked the lady to help me."

"Okay, but just to be on the safe side, we'll go together to check it."

"Okay!"

"Grab Romeo and go get a snack each. My treat." He winked at the boy, Romeo's face lighting up.

"Thanks, Gajeel!" He ran away, pulling on Wendy's hand.

"Romeo! I told you not to call him that!" Levy yelled after her son.

"It's fine, I feel more comfortable this way."

"But he should learn to respect his elders."

"True, but I'm not that old. And neither are you. How would you feel if Wendy called you something other than 'Levy'?" The bluenette sighed, looking after the kids.

"Do you have any plans for dinner?" Juvia suddenly asked.

"The usual. Just Romeo and me." Levy answered earnestly.

"How about having dinner with us?" She grinned wickedly, Gajeel's cheeks flaming instantly.

"Juvia!"

"I… don't want to impose…"

"Nonsense! Any friend of Gajeel's is more than welcomed! Hey, Wendy, how do you feel about having dinner with Romeo and his mom?" Juvia called for the children, who were browsing the sweets aisles.

"Don't bribe the kids, you devil!" Gajeel tried to suppress his blush, but it was in vain.

"Sure! You hear, Romeo, you guys are eating with us tonight!" Wendy beamed happily.

"Really? Can we, mom, can we?" Romeo ran to her mom, hugging her legs.

"Uh… Sure… But only if we don't impose…" Once Levy looked at him sheepishly, Gajeel was lost for words. His insides became jelly and he couldn't think or arguing anymore. He merely answered automatically.

"No, no, I'd love to have you… I mean…" _Shit! Idiot!_ "I'd love to have you for dinner…" He face palmed himself. "That came out worse than the first one…" Juvia and Levy giggled.

"I get it, thank you for your hospitality." Levy smiled at him, Gajeel floating on the inside.

"Gajeel's acting all weird." Romeo noticed, Juvia giggling as she saw her brother's ears turn red.

"Would you guys hurry up? Dinner won't cook itself, ya know!" The raven haired man hurried through the aisles just to get away from Juvia's meaningful stares.

* * *

After that, dinner preparations were quiet, everyone chatting happily at the table once the food was done. Way after curfew, Levy took her leave, pulling onto a sleepy Romeo as Gajeel walked them to the door. As soon as he was back in the kitchen and grabbed Wendy up from the sofa, Juvia smiled wickedly before opening her mouth to speak.

"You two get along pretty nicely." She moved her eyebrows meaningfully, Gajeel rolling his eyes as Juvia followed him to Wendy's room.

"There's nothing going on. She's just a friend. I think. We didn't really agreed on that yet."

"Aha! So you admit there's a possibility…"

"…For nothing at all!" Gajeel continued her sentence quickly, not letting her finish her idea.

"Oh, come on! I know that look!" Juvia pointed at his confused face. "It's the _I hope she'll notice me behind all these pierces_ face. You like her." The ocean haired woman followed Gajeel out of the room after he tucked Wendy in, Gajeel sighing heavily.

"And why would that be any concern of yours?" He never liked Juvia to meddle in his affairs, but that was nearly impossible.

"Maybe I can help you get you two…"

"No!" He snapped, cutting Juvia off. "She's been through a lot and the last thing I wanna do is push her. Besides, I have no time for a relationship right now. Wendy's a pretty big responsibility and she's demanding _a lot _of attention." He sighed as they headed for the living room. "To tell ya the truth…" He scratched the back of his neck, looking away in shame. "…It's a pain in the ass, really… This whole situation… I'm not dad material, as my tattoos and studs obviously say, and raising up a kid is hell…" Gajeel rubbed a hand on his face, sighing some more. Juvia watched him in silence. "But when I saw her at dad's funeral… all lost and scared…" He raised his shoulders in wonder, shaking his head as if not believing what happened. "Somehow I knew it would be just the two of us for a very long time. And it felt good."

"You really care for this little girl, don't you?" Juvia asked in a low voice.

"Don't _you_? I mean, how could you not? Since all she gives is unconditional love, even after the way you guys treated her. Really, now, I would've given you the finger and walk away without a second glance, but she forgave everyone just like that." He snapped his fingers and smiled fondly. "She's all I need right now. So lay off the _let's hook up big bro_, 'kay? I can find some pussy on my own, if I really need it." This made Juvia laugh, slapping his arm playfully.

"Okay, _big bro_." She used her fingers to quote in the air. "But, still, deny it all you want, you like that short mommy." She nudged his elbow playfully as Gajeel sighed.

"You're impossibly stubborn."

"You would know. After all, we have the same thick skull as the famous "Metalicanna", God rest his soul."

"Right… So, as much as I love you snooping around my business, I've got work to do in the morning. This thick skull is in desperate need of sleep." He waved lazingly and headed to the restroom before joining Wendy in the dream world.

**TBC**

* * *

****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	7. Chapter 7: Helping out a sibling

_**Author's Note:** oh meh gosh, long time no uploaded! Anyone got some inspiration to share? No? No one? Really? At least tell mine to come back, if you guys see it, I miss it terribly..._

_**Guest** , thank you for taking the time to read and comment!_

_**AppleDapple** , d'awww thank you! and I wanna finish it, so yes, I'll keep writing. And please, don't die from cuteness, otherwise you won't be able to read the next chapters, right?_

_**AJ** , I wanna get to the sketched chapters so I can upload them on DevArt, too. until then I wanna make it a surprise._

_**Sketcher1994** , ahahahaha your comments always make me laugh. I humbly accept your compliments! Aslo, YES! summer is here! ah~~~how I've missed it... we've already had 37 degrees celsius. I wish it would never end..._

_**Caro** , trato de contestar a todos mis leedores. el primer capítulo del domador es largo... no creía que puede ser tán dificil traducirlo... _

_**Lexie** , ahahahaha yes, he eats cats :))))) that made me laugh like a crazy woman. No worries for those who missed the cute ship, there will be more in the future._

_**Dvel** , yes, we can relate... how can Mashima sense make Gajeel more adorable it's beyond me. BUT I LOVE IT! and thank you for the wonderful words!_

_**ItCalledLove** , what's your new ID? I can't find you... and I try to stay active, but alas, my inspiration fails me most days..._

_**EmmyHippo** , yes, technically he can date Wendy. oooh, please stay tuned for the rest of the guild members._

_**yamiyugi101** , yes, the zombie manga showed a bit of RoWen, although I have a feeling Mest is gonna claim her... Mashima sensei is very good at making us guess... hmmm..._

_ah, my **ThreeDarkAngels** , thank you!_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

"Gajeel! Wake up! Old sis is burning the kitchen!" Wendy jumped on the bed trying to wake Gajeel up. The man groaned loudly after glancing at the clock. He sniffed a few times, then bolted from the bed and hurried down the stairs. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at his kitchen from the doorframe.

"What… the fuck are you doing to my house?" Gajeel asked outraged, seeing the kitchen in total disaster. A beaming Juvia turned with two plates, smiling proudly.

"Gajeel! Just in time for breakfast!" The man stared with his mouth gapping, looking at his sister like she was a complete nut case. Not that he was far from the truth.

"You…"

"Uh-huh, I cooked!" Juvia beamed, hurrying to the living room table, where a third plate was waiting for them.

"You destroyed my kitchen…" Gajeel said in a low voice, still shocked by the total disaster he just witnessed. Multiple dirty pans filled the counter, some of them still dripping with whatever was inside them, flour and egg shells were scattered on the floor and near the sink, the frying pan looked charred and was still smoking, some plastic bowls were stacked haphazardly in the sink. The only thing left standing was the oil bottle, which was nearly empty. What Juvia did with almost a liter of oil, he had no idea.

Gajeel felt like his legs were about to give after assessing the mess Juvia made by 'cooking', so he leaned on the frame. Wendy was just coming down the stairs, watching Gajeel rub a heavy palm over his face.

"I tried to show her how it's done, but she wouldn't let me…" Wendy went to him, taking his hand.

"Are you guys coming or what? It's gonna get cold!" Juvia yelled from the living room, cheerily eating her breakfast. Gajeel dragged his feet to the living, Wendy hurrying to the table and starting eating. Her fork stopped in her mouth, widening her eyes in surprise. Then she pulled the fork slowly out of her mouth and screwed her face in disgust. Gajeel groaned internally. So Juvia couldn't cook. Great…

"It's… interesting…" The child smiled fakely, forcing another bite into her mouth. Juvia smiled delighted as she continued to eat.

"See, there was nothing to worry about! Big sis can take care of you, too!"

"Thanks…" Wendy grimaced as she forced another bite into her mouth. Gajeel came behind the child and grabbed her fork, placing it into his mouth. He cringed.

"Woman, what the hell is this crap? Wendy, don't eat that! I don't want you to get a stomach ache or something!" Gajeel snatched quickly Wendy's plate and hurried to the kitchen, the child smiling relieved.

"You don't know what's good for ya, you big oaf!" Juvia yelled outraged from the living room, still tending to her 'breakfast'.

"It's true, I don't know what's good for me, but I'm sure as hell _this _ain't good for me. Or you, or Wendy, for that matter." He sighed relieved when he noticed the bottle of milk in the fridge, taking three bowls out from the cupboard and a few boxes of cereal. He warmed the milk and hurried to the living room, where Juvia was still trying to eat her cooking. He yanked the offending plate from under her nose and replaced it with a steaming bowl of milk. Juvia started to argue, but Gajeel was in no mood.

"Shove it. I know you don't like the shit you made so don't even try to argue. Eat." Gajeel placed a bowl for Wendy and passed the cereal around, Juvia glaring for a long moment at her brother, then giving up and filling her bowl with cereal. Soon they finished breakfast and Gajeel groaned again when he remembered the state of his kitchen. Juvia looked away in shame.

"Okay, just leave it like this till I get back… I gotta run to work and I have to drop Wendy, too."

"I'll clean this up while you're gone…" Gajeel sighed when he heard Juvia's saddened voice.

"You don't have to, really. I can take care of thi…"

"I said I'll clean it up!" Juvia yelled at him, Gajeel and Wendy staring at her. For a moment, the raven haired man wanted to let Juvia know she was indebted to him for letting her stay at his place, but then he looked at her and his words stopped in his throat. The ocean haired woman had her eyes shut tightly and was trembling, trying to keep her tears inside. Wendy looked at him confused, then back at Juvia.

"Fine. Do what you want. We'll be back at 5. C'mon, kid." Gajeel turned away and headed for his bedroom to get ready for work.

"Hey, Gajeel, is big sis OK?" Wendy asked in a shushed voice.

"I'm not sure, but she wants to be alone for a while, so let's give her the space she needs, 'kay? I'm sure she'll be fine by the time we get back." So they got dressed and left Juvia sort her thoughts.

As soon as she heard the door close, Juvia started crying. A few minutes after, she went to the kitchen to place her bowl in the sink, taking everything in from the doorframe. She squeezed the bowl tightly as a fresh wave of tears spilled from her eyes, then threw the ceramic bowl on the floor, where it splintered into thousands of pieces.

Her new found rage led her to the dirty plates, grabbing each and breaking them without mercy. Moments later, when her rage subsided, she finally noticed the damage she's done. Plates, bowls, cups, nothing survived her tantrum. She sighed heavily before heading for the broom.

Hours later and Gajeel opened the door sheepishly after he saw half a dozen plastic bags resting next to the garbage containers on his driveway.

"We're home!" He yelled from the main door, Wendy taking her shoes off and scurrying off to find Romeo once she noticed his sneakers.

"Hey, guys! Look who I found while I was out shopping!" Juvia yelled from the kitchen as Gajeel obliviously passed the extra pairs of shoes in the hallway, heading for his sister to inspect without hearing her. Just as he turned to enter the room, brown eyes met with red ones, Gajeel almost bumping into Levy.

"Levy! Hi!" His cheeks flamed slightly, forgetting the mess Juvia made earlier that morning.

"Hello. Sorry if we're intruding or…"

"No, no! You're never intruding." Gajeel said with a fond smile, Levy staring at him for a long moment in disbelief. Juvia smiled meaningfully at Gajeel, who cleared his throat, then looked away and scratched his head, suddenly remembering the mess from earlier that morning.

"Wow!" He couldn't suppress an impressed whistle after glancing around the spotless room. He then ruffled Juvia's hair affectionately and went inside to inspect the kitchen. "This is something else! How did you pull this off?" Juvia blushed, part guilty, part thankful for his words.

"Well, I had nothing else better to do all day… And I promised I'd clean the mess I made, so…" Gajeel opened a few drawers and looked around, finally noticing what was off.

"Where are my plates?" He started panicking as he opened another door, expecting to see the multiple ceramic bowls he owned. "And my bowls?"

"Uh… Well… The thing is… Maybe we should chat after our guests…" Juvia tried sheepishly, but Gajeel cut her.

"Woman, you'll tell me right now, or so help me…" He growled menacingly, trying to intimidate Juvia. She merely looked away and whispered.

"I had a fit and broke them…"

"WHAT?"

"Maybe I should…"Levy felt a bit awkward, trying to get out of the kitchen before Gajeel started practicing throwing knives.

"I went and bought new ones, so there's no problem." Juvia and Gajeel ignored Levy, the raven haired man looking at Juvia like he wanted to strangle her.

"I should've known something was wrong the moment I saw all those garbage bags outside…" He groaned in defeat.

"I'll make it up to you, really! Go rest and I'll cook dinner fo…"

"NO! No way! You! Out of the kitchen now! You've done enough cooking for one day. In fact, don't EVER step a foot in the kitchen! I mean it!"

"You're so mean! It wasn't _that_ bad!"

"You're right, it was worse!"

"Gray-sama loves my cooking!"

"Yeah, right. And that's why he threw you out." Gajeel snorted.

"Ah!" Juvia bulged her eyes, staring at her brother. "I'll have you know I left on my own!" She poked him in the chest.

"After he refused to eat that crap you call _cooking_? I bet he's jumping for joy right now." Gajeel crossed his arms, snickering evilly at Juvia's puffed cheeks.

Levy looked puzzled from one sibling to another, bursting into laughter a moment later. Gajeel and Juvia snapped their eyes to her, remembering she was still present.

"What's so funny?" Gajeel narrowed his eyes to the bluenette, Juvia's cheeks reddening.

"Yep, it was worth coming here today." Levy turned around and headed for the living room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gajeel sputtered slightly, following her.

"Nothing…" She chided, a sweet smile mellowing Gajeel's temper. He huffed indignantly, suppressing the blush that was threatening to embarrass him.

"It's _Crazy Pasta Night_, so…" He made his way back to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Just as he placed the water to boil, Juvia and Levy joined him.

"I talked to Juvia and she wants to learn. Is it OK if we stick around here?" Gajeel was lost in her brown eyes. How could he say no to that face?

"…Sure… You can take the meat from the fridge and help me with the meatballs." Juvia's face lit up like a Christmas tree, watching Gajeel's back as he took out a few spices and vegetables.

"I can't help but be curious… Why is pasta and meatballs in the _Crazy Pasta Night_?" Levy pondered out loud as she and Juvia were mixing the meat with whatever Gajeel threw in the bowl. He smiled crookedly.

"For one, the meatballs are different shapes, not just round. And second…" He took out five more bowls, separating the meat into five even parts, then added five different spices in the bowls. He mixed them thoroughly, then smiled proudly at them. "Different tastes in just one meal. Crazy, right?" His eyes burned into Levy's, Juvia smiling at the sweet scene unfolding in front of her eyes. A long moment later, he realized he was staring the short bluenette and composed himself. He made five different shapes from the bowls, then let the two women continue with the meatballs as he got the tomato sauce ready.

An hour later, the three adults and two children were enjoying their meal, chatting happily into the night. Soon after the children finished their food, they went to watch TV while the adults finished dinner and cleaned up.

It was way after Romeo's curfew when Levy took her leave, Gajeel watching her walk on the darkened street. He closed the door after he was sure Levy got inside her house, turning right into a grinning Juvia. He groaned loudly.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, woman, or I'm gonna be forced to do it myself."

"You're an idiot if you think you can scare me, big brother. And I'm not gonna say anything about you and Levy, so at least let me smile and be happy for you." Gajeel blushed hotly, his words stopping in his throat.

"Gajeel, I can't find my p-jays!" Wendy's voice came from his bedroom, so he hurried up the stairs, grateful for the interruption. As soon as he tucked the small girl in, he went back to Juvia, who was watching a movie.

"How long are you planning to run away from that idiot?" Gajeel sat next to her after he went to grab a couple of beers. Juvia sighed.

"I'm not running away, I'm just…"

"Freeloading on your brother." Juvia smacked his bicep in indignation.

"You really want me to leave?" Gajeel caught the hurt in her voice.

"No, silly, I just can't stand to see you upset. Just talk to him, I'm sure he's not that stupid. So, are you gonna tell me why you made me hide you for a week?" Juvia sighed heavily.

"He wants to marry me."

"That's great!" Gajeel beamed, but noticed Juvia wasn't so hyped about it. "And the happiness is rolling over you like a boulder." He said in a sarcastic tone.

"No, no. I've dreamed of this moment for a _long_ time."

"But… There's always a 'but'." Gajeel left it hanging for a long moment, letting Juvia sort her thoughts.

"He said he wants a child right after the wedding. And I'm not… I mean… I just got this great job and I wanna focus on that right now, because I've waited for a long time to get the promotion and…" She sighed again. "I'm selfish, I know, but I'm not mom material. I don't even like kids. I've had enough of raising brats thanks to Natsu. I have hopes and dreams and my daily rituals, I mean this hair doesn't do itself, you know! I'm not ready to give myself up for a snotty gurgling… thing!" She huffed heavily, tears threatening to spill.

"Did you talk to him about this?" Gajeel asked soothingly.

"…No… I just… I grabbed my keys and a few things when he was at work and came here…"

"Are you an idiot? Did you call him and let him know you're alive?"

"No… He did call a few times, but I hung up on him…"

"You… The fuck is wrong with you? Did you ever think what you did to him? He ain't on my favorite list, but what the fuck? Do you realize how worried he must be?"

"I…"

"You didn't, did you?" Juvia looked away in shame. Gajeel grabbed his phone and dialed Gray. He answered from the second ring. "Hey, pervert, I got your stalker."

"You didn't!" Juvia snapped her head to Gajeel, her eyes almost popping from their sockets. He merely grinned crookedly.

"Yeah, she's been freeloading here for a while, sorry I didn't call sooner, but I had no idea she was such an idiot." Juvia glared murderously at him, stomping out of the room a moment later. "Yeah, sure, I'll let her know. Have a good one." Gajeel turned his phone off and headed for the ocean haired woman.

"Don't talk to me right now, I hate you."

"Tell me something new." Gajeel snorted. "He said he'll be here in half an hour or so, he just wants to talk." He got closer to Juvia's back. "You can stay for as long as you want, you know."

"Shut up, you traitor!"

"I did you a favor! Do you have any idea how worried he sounded? You could've texted him to say you're still alive! No one deserves what you did to him! You know what he said? He said you left him! He actually thought you broke up with him and left without a word!" Juvia turned around to look at Gajeel.

"But I love him! How could he think…"

"Let's see… Guy says he's planning to marry the girl and have kids, girl leaves home, leaving no note, guys tries to reach her but the girl doesn't even answer her goddamn phone, nor does she tell him where she is or if she's alive. How's that sound?" Gajeel crossed his arms and crooked an eyebrow, letting the sarcasm do all the work.

"Subtle, reeeeaaaaally subtle…" Juvia narrowed her eyes to him, hating him for being right.

"Ain't my strong point." He went back to the kitchen to grab a beer, then headed for the laptop. "At least talk to the guy, what d'you have to lose?" He waved his beer at her, letting Juvia decide. She didn't have to think much since a few moments later the doorbell rang. "Go get it, I bet it's him." As Gajeel predicted, it was Gray. He waved lazingly at him as Juvia led him to the back yard.

Half an hour later, Juvia hurried up the stairs, grabbed her things and went to Gajeel, kissing him on the cheek.

"Thank you." She said with a warm smile.

"Everything cool between you two?" He asked sheepishly.

"Yeah. As you said, he was really worried about me. Now I just feel stupid for postponing the talk and running away like that."

"As I said. You being stupid, nothing new to me." Juvia huffed indignantly and smacked his arm.

"You're such an asshole!" She turned and headed for a smiling Gray.

"Yes, but I know you love me." Gajeel led them to the door.

"Ha! Wishful thinking! There's only one man I love, and it ain't you, big bro!" The pierced man laughed as Gray opened the door to his car for Juvia. She glanced at her brother one more time, then smiled warmly and got in the car. As soon as Gray started the engine, Juvia let the window down.

"Hey, Gajeel!" He turned curiously. "Guess who'll be sharing baby and school photos of you to Levy!" Gajeel gasped.

"I'll kill you!" He wanted to run for the car, but Juvia laughed as Gray left quickly. "Don't you dare!" He yelled after them, his face red with embarrassment. "Damn it, woman!" Gajeel squeezed his fists, then shoved them in his pockets and headed for the house. Shutting the door, he started laughing. Finally, he could breathe easily in his own home.

**TBC**

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****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	8. Chapter 8: Step by step

_**Author's note:** I intended to make this chappie a bit bigger, but 5000 words seemed a bit too much... _

_**fairypaige98** , **Plot Bunny , yamiyugi , shy but fan girl , guest , WailingSirensxx ,** thank you!_

_**Lexie** , yeah, I made Juvia a bit OOC here... also, yep, it was delishuuuus (back when I was still eating meat, that is. I'm a vegan for two years now) _

_**wolf16girl** , and I think I will embarrass Gajeel with those baby photos in future chapters _

_**Dvel** , awwww, you make me blush... I try to keep him slight level headed (not that he won't get to be awkward again lol)_

_**SapphireFairyTail** , sorry for the long wait..._

_**EmilyHippo** , 5 siblings? wow! I only have one, a big bro. and we always act like that lol. he loves teasing me... I know, Juvia's OOC in this one, sorry... And yeah, he did show a whole freaking album of baby me to my crush... I wanted to murder him... Also, yeshhhh Mest is getting smexeh. and awsome. plus he's eyeing Wendy in a cute way, I do hope we'll get to see more WendyxMest from Mashima. I'll think about your idea, too. hugs!_

_**Sketcher** , tehehehe poor back, I hope you're better now. as for the weather, how does 42 degrees sound? cuz it's HOT here._

_**Marisol Bendito **, it's a sob one, but interesting_

_**Carlmike** , IKR? Usagi's drop didn't get as much love as it needs, really. _

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

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Chapter 8:

Summer was a few weeks away and Levy still didn't find a baby-sitter for her son, as Gajeel found out one weekend at lunch. Well, technically, he had to ask her multiple times, even beg at one point, but he'd never admit it.

So, a few hours of prying, a couple of well-placed beers, lunch and two kids napping away, Gajeel's 'charms' finally paid off. Levy looked sheepishly away as she confessed she still had trouble finding someone who'll look after Romeo while she's at work. And the office where Levy worked didn't have a day-care for its employees.

"That settles it, then." Gajeel burst after a few moments of utter silence, startling the bluenette. She looked confused at him before he answered. "I told my boss the first time we had the chat that I might bring another kid there, and he said it was no problem." Well, he didn't, but Levy didn't need to know that. He knew old man Makarov wouldn't have a problem, even if he dropped Romeo there all out of the blue. "I'll take care of him." Levy bulged her eyes.

"There's no need to impo…"

"Summer break is a few weeks away. I don't wanna be a downer, but time's running out and I don't wanna see you two struggle. You can't let him alone in the house and he knows me. He's never acted with me the way teachers claim, and he takes care of Wendy. I usually hit the park after I pick Wendy up, so they could go together. Come on, give me a chance." His red eyes bored into Levy's brown ones, silently pleading her. Levy blushed slightly, looking away. A long moment of silence later and she answered.

"Okay, fine. You win." Gajeel's face lit up and he exhaled a loud YES, then surprised Levy when he hugged her.

"Thank you. You won't regret this." He whispered on her neck, sending shivers down her spine. For a moment, Levy relaxed in his arms, placing her hands shyly on his lower back. When he moved his hands to her head, Levy stiffened and pulled away, clearing her throat.

"I might not regret it, but you certainly will." She joked, trying to hide her blush as she sipped her beer, not watching Gajeel's pained and confused expression. He quickly pulled himself together from the sudden lack of warmth from a certain small body.

"How so?"

"Romeo might act all nice because I'm here watching him. When he's all alone with you… That might be a different thing. I do hope he'll behave, but I can't make any promises." She glanced at him, activating a proud grin.

"I can handle anything he throws at me. He's a kid, just like Wendy. How hard can it be?"

Little did Gajeel know, he would eat his words in a couple of weeks' time.

Summer break came with a wave of scorching heat. Gajeel was already sweating as he strolled through the town with two kids in tow. All three were sporting a backpack each, Gajeel planning to take the kids to the park after work. The raven haired man exhaled relieved once he laid eyes on the office building. _AC, here I come…_

Once the automatic doors opened, Gajeel led Romeo and Wendy to the day care floor, then he proceeded to his own floor, where he started his daily routine.

Some hours later, as work finally came to an end for the day, the pierced man went to retrieve the two kids so they could hit the park. Everything went smooth as the two kids went hand in hand, Gajeel behind them. That is, everything went smooth until they reached the park.

Gajeel took the backpacks from the two kids and sat heavily on a bench, taking out his water bottle to quench his thirst. He choked on the first gulp as he noticed Romeo.

"Get down from there!" He jumped from his spot and hurried to the child, who was happily hanging from his bended knees from a branch.

"No!" Gajeel lost his words for a moment, long enough for Romeo to climb higher.

"You're gonna fall on your ass, brat! And I won't carry you!" Gajeel tried bribing him somehow, knowing how much Romeo loved riding on his shoulder, next to Wendy, of course.

"I'll just tell my mom you were being mean to me. And I'm not a brat! You are!"

"I'm not a brat, you brat!"

"Old man." Gajeel spurted a couple of times, his anger bubbling up.

"You little… You're gonna pay for that when you get down!"

"And what are you gonna do, _old man_?"

"I'm gonna kick your snotty ass, for one!"

"If you can catch me." Romeo snorted, happy that he got Gajeel angry. The tall man fumed for a few minutes, then gave up and headed back to the bench. _What the hell, he'll get bored eventually and get down…_ He thought as he hydrated himself.

Sure enough, almost an hour later, Romeo climbed down from the tree and joined Wendy on the slide. The next few hours passed in a blur and they headed home. Not without incident, of course.

At a red light, Romeo decided he doesn't want to hold Gajeel's hand anymore. In the middle of the street. Gajeel lunged for the bratty kid as he placed a foot on the busy street, earning a few angry honks.

"The hell's the matter with you? Don't pull your hand from mine like that! You almost got hit by a car, idiot!" Gajeel yelled at the child, Wendy looking very worried at the two boys.

"You don't boss me around! And I'm not an idiot! What kind of grown-up calls a kid an idiot? You're horrible!"

"I get to boss you around when you do some stupid shit like that! You gave me a freaking heart attack!"

"That's what you get for being old."

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Romeo! I have to get you back to your mom in one piece! Not as a Romeo-sized wall paper! I'm serious! Don't do that! Especially not on the street!" Gajeel took his hand and held it strongly in his.

"It's a green light." Wendy said to get Gajeel off Romeo's back for the moment. He grabbed the two kids and crossed the street safely, fuming all the way. Wendy looked at Gajeel for a long moment once they were on their street, their home a few couple of hundred yards away. Gajeel let the two children run in front of him since they were on the sidewalk, the whole scene repeating itself in his head.

Wendy grabbed Romeo's hand as they ran lightly in front of Gajeel, then stopped suddenly with a serious look.

"Romeo, you were mean to Gajeel."

"He's a big dork!"

"He sometimes is, but you can't run like that on the street. Cars drive fast and they can hurt you really bad." Romeo looked like he was going to reply something, but gave up. "You scared me, too. I don't like it when you're hurt. We can't play anymore." Romeo looked away, blushing.

"Sorry…" He mumbled, scratching his nose.

"Are you two coming or what? I'm starvin'!" Gajeel's booming voice could be heard a couple of houses ahead of them, the two kids running to him.

Half an hour later, Levy was knocking at Gajeel's door.

"Go get it, it's your mom!" The man yelled from the kitchen, busy stirring into a pot.

"Good evening!" Levy said politely as she peeked through the door.

"Hey! Have a seat, I just finished." Gajeel turned to the set dinner table, filling the plates with food.

"It's OK, no need to impose more than we already did, right, Romeo?" Levy motioned to leave, but Gajeel insisted.

"Aw, come on, you came from work all beat up. Dinner is ready. I know you're hungry, so don't try to bullshit me. Sit down, grab some grub, then be on your way. Besides, who's gonna eat all of this if you two leave now, huh?" Gajeel placed the empty pot on the stove to cool, wiping his hands on the apron. Wendy came running through the door as Gajeel took his apron off and pulled the chair for Levy. She looked a long moment at him, not knowing how to react, then gave up and took a seat next to her son.

"Thank you." She said with a blush before starting to eat.

The rest of the dinner was quiet, part from the occasional question from Romeo. After dinner, the four went out the back yard to let the kids play some more. Only their plans were ruined by menacing clouds. Soon after, pouring rain came down, lightning slashing through the evening sky.

"Finally, some cool down." Gajeel breathed in deeply, enjoying the wet air. "All right, I'm up for some Monopoly!" The two kids squealed loudly, running around the living room coffee table. Levy smiled fondly at the sight, then quickly composed herself and joined the three.

A few hours later, the rain didn't let down, Levy accepting the fact that she would get drenched all the way to her house. She felt sorry for her son as he was sleeping on the couch, knowing she'd have to wake him up and make a dash for the house. Just as she got up and headed for her son, Gajeel came in front of her and placed his arms under the sleeping boy, then propped him on his shoulder.

"Come on." He said, not waiting for the short bluenette. He went to the door, pocketed his keys, grabbed an umbrella and turned to a confused Levy. She didn't comment as he got out of the house and waited for her.

"What are you doing?" Levy asked surprised as Gajeel opened the umbrella with one hand, offering Levy shelter from the heavy downpour.

"Walking you two home, what does it look like?" Gajeel rolled his eyes, Levy staring at him.

"You don't have to, Wendy's gonna be all alone and…"

"It's fine, she can take care of herself for 10 minutes. Right?" He said in a whispered voice, careful to not wake the sleeping Romeo in his arms.

"I'll lock the door, Gajeel, did you take your keys?"

"Yep." He slapped his pocket, listening for the clink of keys. "Come on, I can't let a lady walk herself alone in this rain, can I?" He waited for Levy to make a move. She merely stared at him, making Gajeel slightly uncomfortable. "What?" He asked, blushing.

"Nothing, nothing…" She shook her head, feeling torn. The blue haired woman jumped slightly when Gajeel offered her his free arm, looking at the street intently. She reached for it for a moment, thinking hard. A second later, she let her hand fall next to her, looking away while trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Gajeel looked curious at the petite woman, expecting her to take his arm, but when she dropped her hand and looked away, his chest hurt slightly.

The walk to her house was eerily silent, Levy struggling to keep the tears that threatened to spill. The rain fell heavily on Gajeel's umbrella, shallow pools already forming on the sidewalk. He walked calmly half a step behind Levy as she pulled to her house and rummaged her purse for the keys. She let him in as soon as she opened the door.

"Where do you want him?" Gajeel asked in a shushed voice as he took off his boots with his feet. Levy lead him to Romeo's bedroom, Gajeel placing the little boy on his bed, then tucking him in with a fond expression on his face. Levy watched him intently as Gajeel ruffled Romeo's hair, caressed it away from his eyes, then pulled the blanket over his tiny body and turned the nightlight on. Levy was about to say something, but Gajeel shushed her, placing a finger over his lips. He tiptoed out of the room behind Levy, following her downstairs, where she waited by the door.

"Thank you." Levy said to him, looking away.

"Anytime." He said simply, staring at her torn expression. "Are you OK?" The concern was real in his voice. This made Levy cross her arms over her chest, trying to keep the pain in her chest from ripping her heart apart.

"Yeah…" She lied, and Gajeel could hear the lie.

"Did I do… something wrong?" He pushed, fearing he was the source of her troubles. Levy snapped her eyes to him. How could he think something like that?

"No! Heavens, no!" She exhaled heavily. "You do everything right! It's like… the things you do for Romeo are too good to be true… And… for me, as well…" She looked away, hugging herself.

"Then why are you sad?" He made a step towards her, but Levy pulled back from him. "Sorry… It's not my place to ask personal things. I'll… you know…" He waved awkwardly to the door, placing a hand on the doorknob. "You two are welcomed anytime you want. I mean it." He bore his red eyes into her shocked brown ones a moment before he opened the door and let himself out. Levy stood there like a statue, listening to his footsteps in the heavy rain. As soon as he was out of the hearing range, she let the tears run free, letting herself slide off the door. She sobbed heavily on her knees, trembling. _I can't let him get close… I'll just hurt him… I can't…_ She cried for a few good minutes before she got up and went to her son.

Gajeel sloshed heavily through the rain, thinking hard. He was getting depressed, thinking she was scared of his heavily pierced face and tattooed arms. He looked like a serial killer, not like an average office worker. Not that he was an average office worker, but he couldn't disclose the kind of job he was doing underground for judge Makarov. It was the least he could do as thanks for getting him out of the gutter and back on the straight line.

As he pulled back to his house, he decided to give her some time. After all, she did accept his help and the dinner invitation. Somewhere, inside, she must be as interested in his as he was in her. He smiled at the thought as he got inside and placed his umbrella to dry. Wendy was already in bed, so he checked the doors to make sure everything was closed, activated the alarm, then off he went to sleep. He was sure he'd need his strength the next day.

**TBC**

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****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	9. Chapter 9: Babysitter or father?

_**Author´s note:** So I was just about to finish with answering to your revies when I press backspace... and it takes me a page back... And it didn't autosave what I wrote... lovely... Sorry for keep you guys wait! Behold! Chapter 9 is here!_

_**Guest , Highwind , Firegirl6 , That Random Fandom Chick , ThreeDarkAngels , Musicbooks , AndreaRei** , thank you!_

_**yamiyugi** , **Silverwolf Bombarda** , will explain more about Levy's past in future chapters. stay tuned!_

_**JadeOccelot** , he would look sexy as hell in a suit, though hehehe._

_**wolf18girl** , my kid decided to pull that stunt on me... i felt like smacking him in the head, too, but I composed myself before I did something I'd regret later. yelled at him, though. it was pretty scary since my mind decided to play multiple horrible scenes in my head in that fraction of a second..._

_**Dvel , GiantMarshmallow** , cliffhangers... love/hate relationship_

_**s** , awww, thank you so much! and, yes, I do have other Gajevy stories, just check my profile_

_**Sketcher** , men are, sometimes, dumb. in a cute way. especially those who really like someone. (ah, summer is over, I already miss it... I dread the coming winter...)_

_**Carlmike** , what language is that? Looks a bit like German, am I wrong? as for the review, thank you!_

_**AngieKawaii** , me alegro que mi historia te ha gustado tanto. debo ovacionarte para tu loyalidad, tratando de traducir con Google, ya se que no hay nada bueno. en cuanto la traducción de mis historias, debo confesar que mi inglés en mejorísimo que el español, me da difícil traducir porque no tengo la naturaleza de un nativo. muchísimas gracias para leer mi ficción!_

_**JTBTB** , so far, your reviews made me cry from the bottom of my heart, then made me laugh through my tears. you're an old soul that warms amateurs like me and keep the light to some broken bits and pieces of dreams and sudden inspiration waves that might become a written book in the future. i usually don't judge people from apprearances, but, believe me, you have blown me away. 15 and so very mature. it must be tough being so enlightened at your age (been there, done that, beat the crap out of them lol). and i really never realized how much of me i actually put in my fics. reading your comments made me realize that, but, frankly, not everyone feels so much just from a few words. so i applaud you, young lady, for 'feeling' the words. a simple 'thank you' is less than what i feel right now, but i hope it will do. i have facebook, if you wanna chat, old soul to another. *bow*_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

"Time to wake up, old man!" Romeo came running to Gajeel's bed, climbing on it, then throwing himself on Gajeel's abdomen. He woke up with a painful "Umf!".

"Damn it, kid!" He groaned loudly, turning on a side to rub some pain away. Romeo and Wendy laughed loudly. "Ain't funny, ya little brat!"

"Old man!"

"Snot eater!"

"Grizzly hair!"

"Pee wee!" Romeo gasped outraged, pointing a finger at Gajeel.

"_You're_ a pee wee!" Gajeel snorted.

"Kid, I was _never_ a pee wee. Mine was bigger than yours at your age." He said smugly, crossing his arms and enjoying Romeo's angry face, Wendy placing her hands to her mouth in embarrassment.

"You! You! You're a big meanie!" Romeo stuck his tongue out for Gajeel, turning away and stomping out of the room. The man merely laughed as he got out of bed, scratching his belly on his way to the bathroom. While he was doing his morning ritual, a thought hit him. He nearly choked on his toothbrush, too. Gajeel rinsed his mouth and dried his face quickly, then yanked the door open and hurried down the stairs to the two kids.

"How did you get inside, kid?" Gajeel tried to remember of he locked the doors, moving quickly to the main door and checking the alarm. It was on. He frowned for a moment, then Romeo answered in a bored voice.

"Window." Wendy turned the TV on, browsing for cartoons.

"What window?"

"First floor." Gajeel's jaw dropped.

"And how exactly did you reach the first floor?"

"That plant you have growing on your house. It was easy peasy. Do you mind? We're trying to watch cartoons!" The child said in an annoyed tone, ushering Gajeel with his little hand. The man puffed his cheeks, wanting to reply, then gave up, exhaling heavily. He racked a hand over his face, heading for the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Gajeel opened the fridge, grabbed a few eggs, cheese and milk, using his chin to steady them. He tried to close the fridge without dropping his items, steadying them to the counter. He was about to place everything on a plate when the doorbell rang loudly, startling Gajeel into throwing everything in the air. The eggs splattered on the floor, the plate broke and the lid from the milk jug popped off when the plastic hit the floor, so the liquid started pouring out. Gajeel fumbled with the milk, finally saving it after leaving a huge white puddle on the kitchen floor.

"Aw, man!" He looked at the mess on the floor, cursing internally. The doorbell rang again, more insistently. "Coming!" He barked angrily, stepping on some egg and falling on his butt painfully. "OWWW! DAMN IT! I SAID I'M COMING!" He yelled furiously as he got up from the wet floor, his pants soaked with milk and egg. Thankfully, he missed all the plate shards, so nothing but his pride was wounded. Gajeel stomped to the door, unlocked it with force and yanked it open, ready to send whoever the hell it was somewhere the sun don't shine. His words stopped in his throat as a very worried Levy jumped when he almost pulled the door off its hinges. "Le…"

"Is Romeo here?" Levy's voice trembled with worry and unshed tears.

"Yeah, he's watching cartoons." Gajeel opened the door to let her see the two kids on the couch.

"Oh… Thank God!" She couldn't hold her tears as a wave of relief hit her and melted her knees. Gajeel hurried to her as Levy placed a frail hand on the door frame to steady herself.

"Hey, shh. Come in." The man forgot all about his mess in the kitchen and the state of his pants as he placed his arms around the short woman to keep her from falling down. She sobbed heavily with one palm over her eyes, the other firmly planted on Gajeel's bicep. The pierced man led her inside, cradling her small body. He pulled a chair and held her as she cried silently in his chest. Now he felt awkward, not knowing what to say to calm her down. So he merely stroked her back until she pulled away from him.

"Sorry…" She turned her back on him and sniffed a couple of times, wiping her eyes. Gajeel offered her a box of tissues, Levy taking a few to wipe her face. When she thought she was decent enough, the bluenette turned around and faced a worried Gajeel sheepishly. She could see he waited for an answer, but as the words hit her mind, her lower lip started quivering again. Gajeel watched her in silence, admiring her frail beauty. Her eyes glossy and red, her pink, shiny nose, the reddened lips he craved… His throat dried suddenly when her words rang in his ears. _I'm sorry, I can't…_ But Gajeel couldn't help the butterflies messing with his insides.

"My mind is…" Levy broke the awkward silence. "I imagined… stuff…" She gulped another wave of tears. "Some… people wanna hurt me and… The best way to do that is to hurt Romeo, since it's long since I cared what happens to me." She saw in Gajeel's eyes he understood her situation.

"Witness protection?" He somehow knew that was the case, but he needed confirmation. Levy nodded as she sat down on a chair. Gajeel squeezed his hands into fists, rage threatening to consume him. He had his suspicions by the way Levy acted around him and how she flinched now and then. The disbelief in her eyes stung the most whenever he did something normal (from his point of view) like making dinner for her and the kids or walking her home on rainy nights.

"What's that on your pants?" Levy's amused voice brought him back from his angry thoughts.

"What?" Levy pinched his pants, showing him the huge wet spot. "Aw, damn! I forgot!" He jumped from the chair and hurried to the cupboard, where he kept the cleaning supplies, grabbed the mop and a bucket and headed for the kitchen. Levy followed him, giggling once she saw the mess on his back side. She motioned to grab the broom, but he stopped her. "I got it, thanks. Besides, shards are all over the place, I don't want you to cut yourself or something." Gajeel's thoughtfulness touched her. "I'll be done in a moment. Did you grab breakfast?"

"No, I was too worried about Romeo. I'll be right back!" Levy dashed back to her house to get changed for work and grab her phone, keys and Romeo's backpack. Gajeel was changed by the time she was back, beating some eggs in a bowl.

"Hey, brats! Breakfast is almost done! Wash your hands and get your butts here!" He yelled from the kitchen just as Levy opened the cupboard and grabbed plates to set the table. "Thanks." He said as he poured the eggs into the frying pan. "Sit your sexy ass, I'll be done in a moment." Levy's cheeks reddened, realizing Gajeel didn't even notice his slip. But Romeo and Wendy did, because they were in the door when the tall man addressed the short bluenette.

"Watch your language around my mom!" The child burst, surprising the two adults.

"What?" Gajeel turned to him, looking confused from a fuming Romeo to a giggling Wendy.

"Told you he likes your mom." Gajeel spurted, almost dropping the frying pan.

"It's fine, Romeo, he didn't mean it." The man noticed Levy's reddened cheeks as she placed the plates on the table.

"What did I say?" Gajeel asked again, feeling really stupid.

"It's nothing, really." Levy said in a small voice, but Romeo was too upset to shut up.

"_Sit your sexy ass."_ The child tried to mimic Gajeel's baritone voice._ "_What kind of example do you give me as a growing man? I don't think you'd like it if I said _that_ to Wendy!" The short kid shook his index finger to a very flustered looking Gajeel, realizing why Levy was so embarrassed.

"I didn't say that! Did I? Never mind! Sit down and eat!" Wendy giggled softly, noticing Gajeel's reddened ears. After that, breakfast was quiet.

Around an hour later, the four of them stepped out of the house.

"Hey, kid, wanna walk your mom to the bus?" Gajeel asked Romeo, who was holding his mother's hand. The child snapped his eyes to the tall man, blushing lightly.

"She's big enough to take care of herself!" He hid his face in his mother's skirt. "But… if you insist…" He added with a muffled voice, making Gajeel smile warmly.

"I _do_ insist." So Gajeel followed his favorite bluenette to the bus station, waved goodbye once she got inside, then went to his office with the two kids.

Once work hours were over, Gajeel hit the park, as usual. He chose a bench, placed the backpack on it, then stopped Romeo when he started to go for the swings.

"I wanna talk to you, brat." Gajeel said in a grave voice, ushering Wendy to play. Romeo felt his insides drop. That tone was never a good thing. "Can we sit for a moment?"

"Uhm… OK…" The child said in a fearful voice, sitting next to Gajeel.

"I'm not gonna do anything to you, kid, relax. I just wanna talk a bit. Did you tell your mom where you were going this morning?" Romeo lowered his eyes, ashamed.

"No…"

"Why would you do that to her? Do you know how scared she was when she got to my place?" Gajeel kept his voice even, trying to make the young boy understand. "Your mom loves you very much. She would literally give her life for you. And she would be very upset if anything happened to you. Do you understand?"

"Yeah… I just wanted to see Wendy sooner… I didn't mean to upset her…"

"I know, kid. I know. Just… Talk to her before going out on your own. Okay? You can come over anytime, I don't mind, I like having you in the house, even though you're a brat." Gajeel ruffled the boy's hair, Romeo peeking at him and seeing him smile. "I feel relieved knowing there's another man in the house." The child blushed.

"I'm not yet a man…"

"Sure ya are! Who takes care of your mom when I'm not around? You're the man of the house, ya know? But the man of the house doesn't worry his woman. Make sure you ask her before you go outside, 'kay?"

"Thanks…"

"You're a good kid. Now go have some fun and make me crazy." Gajeel winked at the child. Romeo hopped off the bench with a smile and took a few steps, then stopped.

"You're a nice guy, Gajeel." He said with his back turned, Gajeel suspecting he was blushing like a girl. The man smiled, feeling his heart swell. If this felt like taking care of kids, he was 100% he wanted one of his own.

Sometime later, the three headed home, not without incident, of course. Romeo was and active boy, after all. But Gajeel couldn't see him otherwise.

**TBC**

* * *

****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	10. Chapter 10: Getting more comfortable

_**Author's Note:** Woo hoo! Two chapters in just a few days! *rolls sleeves* i'm all fired up!_

_**yamiyugi** , well... i do plan to make it a little more dramatic, but in future chapters :D_

_**GiantMarshmallow** , yeah, will be explaining it :D _

_**Guest , Whispurr** , hope this wave of inspiration keeps up with me_

_**Sketcher** , to be frank, i reread my stories, as well. i like to think it's because i'm checking for errors, but vanity slaps me in the head lol. we have a toasty 65-70 here, not too cold, just enough to tell you autumn is coming. looks like winter comes sooner over there. *hands over a fluffy blanket* something to warm you when you think of me (((hugs)))_

_**JTBTB** , i do try to add whatever i see in my life. as for the mystery, YESSS! i managed to write one where i keep you guys guessing till the end. i, myself, love reading stories like this, keeping my mind guessing all the time and making so many scenes in my head for a next chapter, only to be mindblown by the writer. i never meant to do that, but i really am glad i did. a bookworm usually attracts another bookworm, so what i see from your awesome comments is that you will, one day, become a known writer, maybe a literary critic, but what i clearly see is a future teacher, one who will spread the love for reading and place the seeds of literature creativity in generations to come. and i do feel more humbled to know you treat me with such long and heartly comments i love reading. believe me, you made your passion and love crystal clear through your words. words that come from a pure heart. and you did inspire me. all of my readers inspire me to become better, to expand the limits i place in my own head, even though our mind is limitless. words from the heart are never cheesy, from my point of view. as a finish, 'Divorced, yet in love' is not mine, hehe._

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

"So, let me get this straight." Natsu grinned like the idiot he was, Gajeel itching to punch his teeth in. "You're taking care of her kid during the summer but there's nothing between you two?"

"My life ain't _your_ problem, so lay off before you lose teeth." Gajeel took a swig from his beer to hide the warmth in his cheeks.

"You talk all big but I see you hiding that girly blush." Natsu smirked but, before he could laugh in his brother's face, a punch sent his way made him roll over and dodge Gajeel's fist before it collided painfully with his nose. "Geez, man, don't be like that! You know mom hates fighting in the house!"

"Good point. I'll just have to take this outside then." The black haired man lunged after his brother, trying to catch the little bastard and beat the snot out of him.

"Quit it! Mooooom!" Natsu bulged his eyes when he noticed the feral gleam in Gajeel's eyes just before he pounced. He jumped out of the way in the nick of time, running to his mother.

"Pussy! You're still going to tell on me at your age?" Gajeel started laughing loudly, hiccupping it back once he noticed his mother in the doorway, arms on her hips.

"You boys better behave! I may not be young again, but I_ can _make you two heel!" She looked sternly at Gajeel, then snapped her eyes to her left and lunged for whoever it was. The next moment a whiny "OWOWOWOWOWWW" could be heard, Rose dragging Natsu by his ear. "That goes for you, too. Ya hear?" She snapped her eyes to Gajeel, who gulped, then added, together with Natsu.

"Yes, ma'am…"

"Now, I have dinner to attend to." Rose said in a motherly, calm tone. "I need help with the veggies, would you two be a doll?"

"Sure, I'd love to!"

"Of course, mom!"

"You didn't even have to ask."

"Really, what kind of men do you think we are?"

The two men started rambling as they hurried to the kitchen. They loved her mother, but she could become a scary woman. And her mood swings were like trying to predict the weather. You got it sometimes, but not often enough. Plus you never saw the sudden changes coming.

"You two okay back there?" Gajeel yelled through the back door, seeing the two kids play around the sprinklers.

"Yeah!" Romeo and Wendy answered in one voice, Gajeel smiling. He started peeling the potatoes, remembering the dinner a couple of nights back.

* * *

_The normal gang of four sat around the table chatting happily and eating a great meal. Suddenly, Wendy snapped her eyes to Levy, a huge smile on her face._

"_Can you two come over to our mini pool party this weekend?" Her eyes gleamed. "Gajeel said he'll inflate the plastic pool and we'll have barbecue and water balloon fights and…"_

"_Sorry, Wendy, this weekend is a no-go." Wendy pouted cutely, Gajeel being suddenly interested in the conversation. "We have… some stuff to do and…"_

"_Yeah, mom is taking me with her on a trip! It's gonna be awesome!" Levy snapped her eyes to her son, not expecting him to blow the whistle. Gajeel didn't fail to notice her reaction._

"_Is everything OK?"_

"_Yeah, just… Me and Romeo will have a little _talk_ when we get home." The boy gulped, seeing the fire in his mother's eyes._

"_Did he say something… Wait a minute, where are you two going?" Gajeel knew from their late night talks that Levy was an only child and her parents died a few years back. _

"_Just… out of town." He smelled the lie._

"_Shrimp…" Gajeel knew she wanted to hide something from him, her cheeks reddening guiltily. "Okay, if everyone finished their food, you two can go watch some cartoons." Gajeel ushered the two kids out of the room, looking at Levy intently as to let her know he wanted to talk in private._

"_Aww, we always get to miss the good part!" Romeo groaned as he headed for the sink to place his plate in the dishwasher. Gajeel rolled his eyes and sighed. That kid was too bright for his own good sometimes._

"_Shut your trap and go. Shoo, shoo!" The pierced man ruffled his hair, earning a blush from the child._

"_Aw, geez, I'm not a dog! Hands off the hair!" Romeo tried to smooth his rumpled hair, hurrying out of the kitchen. Once the TV was on, Gajeel turned to Levy._

"_Are you in trouble?" He asked softly, concern in his eyes. Levy looked at him a long moment before she answered._

"_Yes and no… No, because it's not… what you think." She avoided using terms like witness protection anywhere near her son._

"_But…?" The man prompted after Levy didn't continue._

"_I didn't wanna tell you because I've troubled you enough with baby-sitting Romeo and I was sure you'd insist on…" She trailed off, steadying herself. "I have to go on a work trip this weekend…" Gajeel exhaled relieved._

"_Perfect! The kids will have a slumber party and…"_

"_See? This is why I didn't wanna tell you! You just jump in like a hero and help me without expecting or asking anything in return! Not that I don't appreciate it, no! But… I already feel like I owe you way too much to put into words and… Never mind. I can handle myself this weekend with him."_

"_First of all, you don't owe me a damn thing. It's enough you come and spend time with me…" Gajeel said the last part in a low voice, his ears reddening. "And secondly, Romeo won't have any fun with you dragging his ass all over… wherever the hell it is you're going. He'll expect fun and field trips, not office work all day and running around an unknown town." Levy bit her lip._

"_I hate it when you play with my conscience…" The short bluenette groaned as she sat down on a bar stool and placed her head on her arms, sprawling over the table. "What am I supposed to do? Just dump him in your care every time my life gets a little difficult?" Her voice was muffled, but Gajeel heard her clearly. He took a seat across her._

"_I offered my help, you didn't 'dump' anything on me! We'll go to my mom's for the weekend, she has a bigger yard. Plus Natsu will fool around with them, maybe we'll go to a public pool…" He let the words hanging, aching to caress Levy's head. She groaned again, then peeked from under her lashes._

"_I hate you sometimes…" She said, keeping her mouth in the crook of her arm, Gajeel's stomach dropping for a brief moment. His heart soared with her next muffled comment. "…for being so perfect…" His cheeks reddened embarrassingly as he stared at her in awe, butterflies messing with his insides. He burned to taste her lips, Levy not moving from her place, slumped over the table, her lower face buried in the crook of her arm, staring at Gajeel. _

"_Why are you two quiet?" Romeo startled Gajeel, making him jump in his chair. The raven haired man cleared his throat loudly before speaking._

"_Just… thinking. You know, planning for this weekend."_

"_Honey, I just got a call from work…" Levy decided to lie to Romeo instead of keeping his hopes up and realizing, once they got there, they weren't on a field trip and break his little heart. "Looks like mommy has to work this weekend, so we can't go to the field trip…" Romeo's face fell._

"_What? But… you promised!"_

"_I know, honey, but…"_

"_You know what? Just go to your stupid work! I didn't wanna go in that stupid trip anyway!" Romeo yelled, tears forming in his eyes, then turned around and ran upstairs, slamming Wendy's door behind him. _

"_Oh… boy…" Gajeel said in a small voice. Levy looked like she was about to cry._

"_I'm a horrible mother…" The short woman said in a low voice, Gajeel snapping his eyes to her._

"_That's bullshit and you know it! He's just upset. I think it's better what you did than take him with you and breaking his heart for lying to him it was a field trip with just the two of you. He'll get over it." Levy stared at him, not believing her ears. Gajeel turned and headed calmly to Wendy's room (which was used for playing rather than sleeping, since she still preferred to sleep next to Gajeel)._

"_Hey, kid! Can I come in?" Gajeel knocked two times on the door, waiting for Romeo to answer._

"_Go away!" His voice was filled with tears, Gajeel hearing a loud sniffle. He sighed and slowly opened the door._

"_I'll forgive your little outburst right now, cuz you're upset and don't know what you're sayin', but, just so you know, this is _my_ house and I can't _go away_. I was just trying to be nice." Gajeel approached the crouched child, sitting down next to him and placing a large hand on his small back. Romeo tried hard to quiet his sobs, but Gajeel heard them anyway. He felt so embarrassed! First his mother makes his dream about their field trip, then she decides to go to work instead of spending time with him! And tells him in from of Gajeel, too, if he wasn't crushed enough already._

"_I'll take you and Wendy to my mom, have a pool party, water balloon fights, go to a public pool with my siblings. It'll be the best field trip ever!"_

"_But you're not mom!" Romeo said between sobs, Gajeel feeling sorry for the child. He pulled Romeo to his chest, rocking the small boy._

"_She really wanted to go with you, you know." Gajeel never felt like this in his life. Like his heart was breaking into a million pieces seeing a child hurt so. "She told me weeks ago about it and she wanted to surprise you. She had the whole two days planned." The man lied, but he knew it would make Romeo feel better. Sure enough, Romeo stopped sobbing, raising his head to look at Gajeel's smiling face._

"_Yeah?" The boy sniffed, curiosity clear in his eyes._

"_Yeah. But you know her boss in an asshole. He called her when you were sick, remember? Even though it was her day off." Romeo nodded, remembering Levy's torn expression as she talked on her cellphone. "You know she'd do anything for you, right?" Romeo nodded shyly. "And that she loves you more than her life." Romeo nodded again, placing his head on Gajeel's chest, calming down once he heard his heart beating. "I'll tell her to come over to my mom's place once she finishes her work, okay? Even for a few hours, yeah? How about it?"_

"_Okay…" Romeo gave the man a hug, then sobered up. "How much longer are you gonna hold me like an old woman?" Gajeel blushed hotly, releasing the boy and placing him gently on the floor._

"_Who you callin' an old woman, you little brat?" Gajeel said in a mock offended tone, flipping the little boy in the forehead._

"_OWWW! You big dummy! Why'd'you do that?" Romeo stomped his foot angrily, Gajeel laughing. "You know what? I've had enough of you for one day! I'm going home!" The kid stomped away, Gajeel laughing some more._

"_That's my line, snot eater!" The man answered him, knowing everything was fine between Levy and her son. Romeo was pulling on her mother's hand when Gajeel came downstairs, grinning all the way._

"_Ugh, let's GO already! He's being mean to me again!" Romeo whined, opening the door. Levy looked at Gajeel with awe._

"_What did you do to him?" The pierced man blushed, then looked away._

"_Just… had a chat between men, nothing fancy…"_

"_Well, whatever you did, thank you. I thought he'd hate me for good."_

"_Naw, he could never do that. So, it's settled, right, kid? We'll go have fun at the pool this weekend." Romeo blushed hotly, keeping his cute scowl._

"_Whatever, old man."_

"_Ol…" Gajeel sputtered as Romeo dashed out of the house, laughing. "Again with the old! I'll show you old! You'll beg for mercy when you get your ass spanked by my water balloons! Just you wait! Saturday's coming! Ha ha! I can't wait to drop you in the pool!" He yelled after the squealing child, Levy passing him calmly._

"_Good night, Gajeel. And thank you again." She said with a warm smile, hurrying after Romeo._

"_No problem! Have a good night!"_

**TBC**

* * *

****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	11. Chapter 11: Pool party

_**Author's Note**: Hello again, my Misty~es! Wow, October was busy! I had to prepare a mini Halloween party at one of the kindergartens I work for, don't wanna do that again any time soon... Way too much running around... Okay, enough complaining. I have a job, the kids love me, I have more time on my hands to see my kid grow up and spend time with my family. What more could I possibly ask for?_

_**Whispurr10** , awww that was so sweet! thank you! words like this mean the world to me._

_**That Random Fandom Chick** , thank you for stopping by again!_

_**Carlmike94** , Swedish, huh? awesome! as for the review, I'm trying to make it as natural as possible. Raising a kid of my own helps this fic a lot. Plus, I'm an auntie, and the chats the kids have when they get together can be hillarious sometimes. So I'm stealin' their sweetness and give it to you, my readers_

_**Empress** ,** Ultra-Siou , WailingSirensxx** , thank you!_

_**JadeOccelot** , you know, I never realized I was placing Wendy on a second plane. Wow, so sorry for that, Gajevy force is stronger lol. yes, you will be seeing more of Wendy (I'll try to keep her more active in the story rather than focusing on Levy all the time) gotta tell the readers what happened to her, why she was abandoned, ya know? so stay tuned. and, please, let me know if I do any more mistakes, I might not spot them, but you, my readers, are a lot more clear minded when you read my works. so any comment helps me improve._

_**SpudyPotato** , always happy to see new names around here! thank you for reading/liking/commenting! doing my best to fix all of my on-going fics._

_**Sapphire Redfox** , that's some imagination! never lose that spark! but, no, I won't get her kidnapped. at least, not in this fic. but... I'll think about the babies hehe._

_**BarelyProdigies** , these small and sweet Rowen interactions are meaningful for their future. but I won't say more hehehe. thank you for the compliment, and, contrary to your reply, every comment helps me. they calm my mind and boost my inner self, making me proud to have so many readers who like my works. I know I have to improve, but I know you guys will help me, since every and all comments I've received so far have been nothing but constructive criticism (which I crave). I was kinds nervous about the 'taking it slow' thing, since I feared the readers might get bored. But I do hope I'll keep it readable until the end and not make it too slow._

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

Saturday came and went by fast, the two kids having a blast with Natsu and Gajeel as their playmates. Rose watched them from the porch, smiling warmly at their squeals of delight. As night took over, Gajeel tucked the two kids in, then joined Natsu outside, in the yard. He handed him a cold beer, then lied down on the inflatable mat next to his brother, who was star-gazing.

"Thanks." Natsu took a swig, then placed it next to him. Gajeel grunted. "How long has it been since you took Wendy in?" The pinkette said suddenly, surprising the older man.

"Uh… Lemme think… Half a year, maybe more… Oh, wait, dad passed away 8 months ago. Why?"

"Just… ya know… Thinking. Did you find out who her mother is?" Natsu said in a serious tone, surprising Gajeel again. After all, his brother had very few serious moments.

"Yeah. A couple of months ago, actually…"

"…And…"

"And what?"

"Well, maybe she'd want to meet her kid, maybe take care of her…"

"I ain't giving Wendy to the woman who abandoned her in the first place!" Gajeel raised his voice a bit, feeling angry at his brother for even thinking something like that.

"Calm down! Sheez! And you call _me_ Flame Brain, getting all worked up like that."

"What the fuck am I supposed to think when you cough up some shit like that? She's a fucking alcoholic! And, by the way, I did a DNA test while I was at it, Wendy's not dad's."

"What?" Natsu snapped his eyes to Gajeel, staring in disbelief. "Does mom know?"

"Haven't told her yet… I'm not sure how she'll react… She's still grieving and… Frankly, I don't wanna lose Wendy…" Gajeel looked back at the sky, thinking. "I found something worth living for. Something worth working for. I'm not a selfish bastard anymore. I look back and see myself before Wendy and I can't believe I was such an asshole."

"Nope, you're still an asshole, just a lovable one now." Natsu smirked as Gajeel elbowed his playfully in the arm. "Will you tell Wendy about her mom?" The younger man became serious again.

"Not right now… I figured I should go talk to the woman first. After that… I dunno… We'll see how it turns out." Gajeel sipped his beer thoughtfully, leaving his words hanging. "She lives around here, so maybe I'll come by one weekend and meet up with her."

"I still don't get how dad ended up with the kid. Or how them two met."

"From what I found out, she worked as a cleaning lady for a few years at dad's office. He got her admitted to an AA clinic a few times, so I figured dad cared about her enough to get her straight. So I'm still not 100% he _didn't_ have an affair with her, I just know Wendy is not his." Natsu hummed, thinking about what Gajeel said.

"Okay, enough serious talk for one night. Juvia said she's bringing Ice Princess tomorrow at the pool party." Natsu finished his beer and headed for the house, waving a lazy hand at his brother. "I'm crashing, 'night."

"Yeah…" Gajeel stayed a few more minutes, thinking hard. No matter how he tried to avoid Wendy's biological mother, he was curious. He wanted to make sure his hatred was justified. Because, if it wasn't and Wendy started asking questions about her in a few years… He had to be prepared for such a scenario. His mind set, he retreated himself to his room, squeezing himself next to the two sleeping kids.

* * *

Natsu was up and about before everyone else, Gajeel finding him in the back yard, almost finishing inflating the plastic pool for the two kids. The raven haired man smiled warmly, then headed for the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He was sure the two kids would be hungry as soon as they got up.

Sure enough, Romeo and Wendy came running down the stairs half an hour later, jumping around Gajeel, who had his hands filled with plates.

"Hey! Settle down! I'm gonna drop the plates! Quit it!"

"We'rehungry, we'rehungry, we'rehungry, we'rehungry!" The two kids chanted in one voice, running around Gajeel.

"Yo, breakfast!" Gajeel yelled after his brother through the backyard door, Natsu's face lighting up like Romeo's.

"Perfect!" The pinkette noticed the two kids singing around Gajeel, so he quickly joined them, Wendy happily making space for her silly older brother. "We'rehungry, we'rehungry, we'rehungry, we'rehungry!" Natsu smirked at his exasperated brother.

"What's with this noise at this hour?" Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, Natsu gulping guiltily as soon as he noticed Rose's stern glare. "I swear I raised a bunch of cavemen! I understand the two kids doing all the ruckus, but, Natsu, really…"

"Sorry, mom…" He helped Gajeel to fill the plates with food, then quietly sat down and ate, together with Gajeel and the two kids. "Wipe that smirk off your face!" Natsu said in a low voice, noticing Gajeel's grin.

"I love karma…" Gajeel said in a dreamy voice, smiling widely.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for this, asshole. Just you wait. You won't see those water balloons coming. I'm going all MK47 on your ass." Gajeel laughed at his 'threat', his eyes gleaming.

"Did I hear something?" Rose popped her head through the door, glowering at her sons.

"No, mom." The two men answered in choir, finishing their food.

An hour later, all five were outside, preparing the 'battle field'. Rose was placing the grill, Gajeel and Natsu were filing balloons with water and Wendy and Romeo were busy placing a big enough plastic on the lawn. The sprinkler was set and the two kids started playing, while Gajeel and Natsu placed the picnic table, chairs and a couple of rocking chairs. The ice box was already packed with beer, water and juice, Gajeel cooling his brow with a beer after everything was done.

"Hey, check this." Natsu threw a water balloon over the fence, the two men hearing a splash and an outraged "HEEEEY!". The two men started laughing when they realized it was Gray Fullbuster, Juvia's fiancée.

"Fuck you, too, Fire Breath!" Gray said as soon as he walked through the backyard door.

"Surprise attack, mother fu…" SPLASH. Juvia, Gray and Gajeel burst into laughter once they saw Rose smirking proudly next to a balloon bucket.

"Watch your language around the kids! How many times do I have to tell you?" Her voice was stern, but her eyes gleamed playfully.

"Really, mom? I was having a moment here with my soon-to-be brother-in-law and you ruined it. Thanks. A lot." Natsu spit some of the water that was pouring from his head into his mouth, running a hand through his wet spikes.

"Anytime, sweetie." She grinned evilly, going back to the kitchen to prepare the barbecue food.

"Glad my mother-in-law still sides with the best." Gray placed a lazy arm over Natsu's neck, practically laughing in his face. Natsu swatted at him, starting a water fight with him. Soon, the two men were in their underwear, hosing themselves in their 'fight'.

"Hey! Leave some balloons for the kids! I swear I'm marrying a three year old…" Juvia shook her head, settling herself next to Gajeel to watch Natsu and Gray getting attacked by the two children.

The barbecue was uneventful, Gajeel letting Romeo and Wendy to soak in the pool lukewarm water. Sometime after lunch, Gajeel got a call that made him jump from his chair and practically lunge inside the house to get his car keys. The four adults stared after him as he sprinted for the car, yelling a _"I'm picking Levy from the train station!"_ just before he hopped in his car. He was in such a hurry he forgot to put on a t-shirt and pants.

"What has gotten into him all of a sudden?" Rose asked as she watched her older son jump in the car with nothing but his swimming trunks on.

"Nothing really, he just has the hots for Romeo's mom." Natsu answered in a bored voice, sipping his beer. "Hey, Ice Princess, wanna prank Gajeel? He forgot his wallet. Let's call the cops and say his car was stolen." Gray jumped from his chair, already forming a plan, but Rose stopped the two before they could do any damage.

"You will not do such a thing, Natsu Dragneel! Your brother has been very unlucky in the romance department and I don't want you to ruin it! It was enough that… That sorry excuse for a woman broke him so that he refused to date another woman for so long!"

"Okay, okay, I hear ya… No need to play the conscience game with me. I'll just torture Gray, instead."

"Hey!" Juvia said, lifting her sunglasses from her eyes to glare at her younger brother.

"Sheesh! Suddenly no one knows how to take a joke!" Natsu pouted, resuming his beer.

* * *

Gajeel parked at the train station, stopped the car and got out.

"Shit!" He noticed himself in the window, realizing he was barefooted and topless. He palmed the one pocket from his swimming trunks and noticed his wallet was missing. _I left my license at home? Son of a…_ He never had a chance to finish his thoughts, Levy coming out through the revolving doors, looking confused around. He waved an eager hand as soon as she looked his way, noticing her expression turning from confused, to relieved, to raising an eyebrow. _Fuck, she noticed…_ Well, it was hard to _not_ notice the only topless guy in the parking lot, waving like an idiot. Not to mention the lack of footwear and his flowery trunks. True, they were deep blue, but the white orchids on them kinda kicked his masculinity down.

"Hi." He said as soon as Levy was in hearing range.

"Hey. Should I ask?" Levy waved a hand to him, looking confused. Gajeel blushed embarrassingly.

"Let's just say I was in a hurry to get here…" He got inside his car, waiting for Levy to join him. Once she strapped herself, he started the car and off they went. "I just hope the cops won't stop us…" Levy raised both of her brows. "I forgot my driver's license…" She made a surprised noise. "What? I told you I was in a hurry!" He kept his eyes to the road, not daring to face her. But her soft laughter made him forget his worst moment, glancing her way.

"I'm not complaining. Topless suits you very well." The bluenette said before she could stop herself. She blushed hotly when she saw Gajeel's proud grin.

"Good to know."

"I didn't mean… I mean…" Levy started babbling, Gajeel laughing softly.

"We're here."

"Really?"

"Told ya I live close by the train station." Gajeel parked the car, hurrying to open Levy's door. Romeo raised his head as soon as he heard the car door shut, his face lighting up as soon as he saw his mother. The child jumped from the pool, running to her in his Adam's suit.

"You came!" Levy lowered herself to catch him in a hug, then kissed his cheek. "Come on, Gajeel made barbecue!" Romeo pulled on his mother's hand, leading her to the table.

"Go put on some shorts, I don't wanna go blind from your bare ass." Gajeel laughed as Romeo gasped surprised when he noticed he was naked. Then he covered his front and back body parts with his little hands, running back to the pool.

"Were you good?" Levy asked her son once he was settled in the water.

"He was the best." Rose answered as she joined the two adults in the yard. "I'm Rose, nice to meet you." She offered her hand to the bluenette.

"My mom…" Gajeel said in a low tone as Levy shook her hand.

"Is she here yet?" Natsu's voice could be heard from inside the kitchen, skidding to a halt in the door when he saw Levy. "Finally! I've been wanting to meet you for a looong time!" The pinkette hurried to shake her hand. "I love her hair…" He said dreamily to Gajeel, activating a blush.

"The pink haired with the mind of a three-year old is Natsu, my brother."

"Hey!"

"Uh…" Levy felt overwhelmed by the warm welcome, wishing the earth would suddenly swallow her. She never liked attention.

"Okay, okay, 'nough drooling! She's tired and I bet hungry like a wolf, go back inside and harass Stripper all you want!" Gajeel pushed his brother inside the house, pulling Levy behind him in a protective way. Gajeel led her to the picnic table, then hurried to serve her something. Just as he offered Levy her plate, Natsu came outside, grinning like an idiot.

"Hey, look at this!" He grabbed Levy by the neck with one arm, the other extended in front of them, snapping a selfie. "We have the exact opposite hair color in the negative!" Gajeel snatched Natsu's phone, quickly deleting the photo. "Hey! What the hell, Metal Head? It's my phone!"

"Did you ask the lady before you took her picture? Idiot…" Gajeel practically threw Natsu's phone back at him after he made sure any evidence of Levy was wiped clean.

"I'd appreciate if you wouldn't take my picture." Levy said in a pleading tone, leaving the pinkette with questions.

"For once, mind your own business, Natsu." Gajeel said in a serious tone, his brother knowing it was time to stop fooling around and listen to his older brother. These moments were rare, but Natsu trusted Gajeel to tell him what was going on when the time came. So he stepped back, excusing himself and his actions.

"Sorry about that, he can be a total nutcase most times." Gajeel offered Levy a drink.

"Don't worry about it. No harm done." The smile she gave him didn't touch her eyes.

"So… How was your trip?" The raven haired man ended the growing silence.

"Uneventful. Boring. My boss is an asshole. Nothing new. I'm glad it's over and this doesn't happen too often."

"Too bad you couldn't spend the whole weekend here, we had fun." Gajeel said with a smile.

"It was the best day ever!" Romeo yelled from the kids' pool a few meters behind the pierced man, the two adults laughing.

"I take it you'll come again and visit, yes?" Rose asked the boy as she came out of the house, holding a large bowl of popcorn.

"I sure will!" The child answered, making Levy feel uncomfortable.

"We'll see, honey." Romeo pouted, knowing that 'Mommy doesn't want to come again because we bother these nice people' tone.

"Well, next time you come, take your mommy with you, OK? She deserves some fun, too." Rose smiled at the bluenette, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it.

Next thing they knew, Gajeel's siblings and Gray came out of the house, resuming their Sunday.

Time flew by faster after that, night creeping in. Gajeel bid everyone goodbye after planning to spend the weekend here again with Wendy. Levy politely refused Rose's invitation for the following week, but promised to come again soon. A few hugs later and Gajeel, Levy and the two kids were on their way home. After all, Monday was just a few hours away and both adults had work to do.

**TBC**

* * *

****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	12. Chapter 12: Complicated

_**Author's note**: Hello, peeps! Yep, another chapter. I do hope you guys didn't curse me too much for the late updates, but I do have trouble finding inspiration. Whatever your thoughts about me uploading so slow, I will always love you!_

_**Guests**, I'll be writing about Romeo's father and Wendy's mother in future chappie, so stay tuned!_

_**JadeOccelot** , things are turning, you'll see hehe_

_**yamiyugi** (Jon) , there's no readon to apologize, since I, too, work and know what's like to not have time for anything, really. And it's good you want to be a father so soon, this means you're mature enough to want such responsibility. but it's a wonderful responsibility which I never regret. what I do regret is the fact that I don't have more kids, even though my boy makes me crazy most of the times. But I wouldn't have it any other way._

_**Cubbies** , yeah, no biggie hehe. Gosh I loved beating up smart-asses and bullies. Really. It made my day each time._

_**Secret** , well I meant it to be a little angsty. Thank you for R&amp;R!_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

The weeks flew by faster than Gajeel could realize, already feeling queasy as he stood in front of the café he was supposed to meet Wendy's biological mother. He admitted to himself. He was afraid what he'd find inside the small place. What if she was what he feared? And if she wasn't, was he ready to give Wendy up to reunite her with someone who might be able to provide and care for her better than himself? He recalled the call from a couple of weeks earlier.

* * *

_Gajeel kept staring at the file in front of him. The curly brunette in the photo was holding a plate with numbers. _Cana Alberona: Possession and use of narcotics. Sentenced to one and a half year imprisonment. Bail set for 50000$ - not paid. _He felt sick. Gajeel ran a hand through his spikes, wondering what to do. He recalled all the stupid shit he did over the years and thanked whatever Divine power that sent Makarov to him before he dug his own grave. Still, he didn't have a child, only to abandon her and never look back._

"_I see you tried a few times to get straight… Too bad you couldn't resist temptation." He skimmed through the papers, reading briefly from each page. "Aaaaand… there's nothing saying you actually had a baby. Great…" He closed the file and threw it disgusted on his desk, leaning back on his chair. "I could use some help, ya know!" He growled frustrated to the ceiling, throwing his hands in the air. He just had to read Wendy's birth certificate and other documents she had._

_More weeks passed. Summer break was getting closer and things were getting complicated. Why the hell did he have to volunteer himself as a guardian for Romeo? He had enough work as it was, and trying to reach a certain Cana Alberona was proving more difficult than he previously thought. Oh, right… Darn feelings… _

_It was several weeks after he actually found a valid phone number and an address. Funny how karma works, the lady was staying at a motel near his father's office. He followed her for a few days, just to make sure it was the right person, then put the file in one of his drawers, still thinking about whether or not to call her._

_Then, Natsu reminded him of his mission. And he slipped a few details. Great, him and his big mouth. So, Monday morning after their pool party he called her. She answered after the first two beeps._

"_Hello?" A frightful voice could be heard._

"_Yeah… Hello. Sorry to bother you… Is this Cana Alberona?" A long pause. "Hello?" Gajeel tried again._

"_Who's callin'?" _

"_My name is Gajeel Redfox."_

"_And?"_

"_I… It's kinda hard to explain… I'm raising your kid…" He heard a gasp, then silence followed. "Are… you still there?"_

"_I have no child." She said in a trembling voice, Gajeel hearing the tears._

"_I have her birth certificate that confirms what I'm saying, lady."_

"_What do you want from me?" She was openly crying now, her voice pleading._

"_Hey, calm down, I didn't call to give you any trouble, I just wanna talk, if that's OK with you. I don't wanna dump her in your care, I like raising her, she's a great kid that changed me for the better. I just… I wanna be prepared once she's old enough to ask questions about her biological mother. That's all." Another long pause that ended in a few sniffles. _

"_What do you want to know?"_

"_Well, first of all, how did Wendy end up in the care of my father and why did he lie to my mom that she was his, when she obviously isn't."_

"_You're… Oh, my God…" She whispered. "I thought it was just a coincidence… But… You're Metalicanna's son?"_

"_Yes. Do you think we could meet? There are some things you just can't talk on the phone."_

"_Uhm… I'm not sure…"_

"_I can come by in the weekend and meet up in the neighborhood. Anywhere you want." The woman thought for a bit before answering._

"_Okay… Café a la Lune, Saturday, 10 a.m. Be there."_

"_Thank…!" Click. "…you. It's not nice to hang up on people, ya lil' ungrateful…" Gajeel squeezed his phone for a second, then released it. He dialed his mother, making plans for the upcoming weekend._

_So, after leaving Wendy in his mother's care on Saturday morning, he made his way to where he was supposed to meet Wendy's mother. He stopped dead in his track, staring at the Café sign, unsure of his next move._

* * *

With a deep breath, he moved his legs forward, the bell ringing as the door opened. He scanned the room briefly, noticing a few people enjoying their breakfast. He didn't see any curly hair, so he chose a table and decided to wait. He pulled his phone out, checking for any messages. Inbox empty. Gajeel decided to call the one he was meeting, just to let her know he was there. _Brrrr, brrr_ a sound from behind him could be heard. Funny, he could swear he was calling the person behind him by the sync-ed sounds in his phone and behind him.

"Hello? _Hello?_" She answered.

"Yeah, I'm here. _Yeah, I'm here_." Gajeel 's phone was acting weird, making an echo. But then he snapped his head behind him at the same time with the person behind him. Wide eyes met his red ones, the lady gasping.

"Metallicana…" She whispered in shock.

"Cana Alberona?" She nodded vigorously, her mouth still opened in shock. "Gajeel Redfox." He got up and extended a hand to shake.

"Uh… Hi. Please, sit." The brunette offered, Gajeel sitting across her. A waitress came and took their orders, then left them in silence.

"So…"

"So, uh…" Gajeel started together with Cana.

"Go ahead." She offered.

"No, no, you first." Gajeel insisted.

"Well, uhm… I wanted to ask how… is Wendy…"

"She's good, she's 5 already. We had a birthday party with balloons and girly stuff. She's attending kindergarten."

"Oh." She nodded thoughtfully, then the waitress came to serve their orders. "Good, education is important." She said, looking down at her hands. Gajeel looked at her, noticing some bruises under the hem of her blouse. She had straight hair and fearful eyes. She looked nothing like the photo from her file or the way she looked a few weeks prior, when he tailed her. She looked exhausted and her skin had a pale tint.

"Can I get to the point? I told Wendy I won't be gone long." She nodded shyly, so Gajeel continued. "How did you end up meeting my father?"

"I was... in between jobs and he hired me, even though I was expecting. He was such a kind man. He taught me what a man should be like."

"Did you two... I mean... Sorry to ask such a personal question, but..."

"If you're asking about any affairs, no, we never did."

"Oh, OK. That's a relief." Gajeel exhaled contently. "He never said anything, either, but he claimed Wendy was his and mom..."

"He offered to take her in before I..." She looked away uncomfortable. "Cops got a tip and, when they searched my place... My ex was a dealer. When I found the courage to break up with him, he framed me. At the time, I was using, too... So they never believed me."

"How long were you in?"

"A year and a half. Wendy would've been institutionalized if Metalicanna wouldn't have taken her in... I'll always be grateful to him." She smiled bitterly.

"I gotta ask... I mean, please, don't misunderstand. I love Wendy as my own. But... Do you want her back?" Gajeel held his breath as he waited for Cana's answer.

"Right now... In my situation... No. I have too much on my mind and I can't afford to take care of a child. I suppose you're not here to listen to my sob story and I don't want your pity. I'm in some deep shit from which I can't get out right now, so she's better off with you." Gajeel exhaled relieved.

"How long did you care for her?" Gajeel asked after a long moment of silence, startling the brunette.

"Uhm... 2 or 3 years... I don't really remember... I was in a... difficult time."

"Did you abuse her?" Gajeel had to ask. Wendy had been such a fearful child at first, cringing at every sudden movement he made. Plus the nightmares that woke her up screaming.

"I..." Cana gulped and looked away. "Probably... I don't really remember much... The only times I was sober was when I worked for Metalicanna."

"She has some trouble sleeping alone at night, too." Cana looked at her hands.

"I didn't know... I mean, I had to work during the day and I was helping my ex sell his stuff at night. At the time, I thought she wouldn't even feel those 3-4 hours I was away..."

"She remembers them. And hated every moment you were away." Gajeel said with disgust. He, of all people, shouldn't judge others, but, man, it was hard. He squeezed his fists in anger under the table, realizing he wouldn't give Wendy back to this woman, even if she begged. She was more far-gone than he ever was, and that was saying something.

"Sorry wouldn't cut it, I know. I realize I was a bad mother. Maybe it would've been better for everyone if I just terminated the pregnancy when I had the chance, but Metalicanna... He spoke with such love of his children. He was so proud... and made me feel I could be a good mother. Didn't work out the way we planned it... but she's on good hands." Gajeel could hear the regret in her voice, not being able to comfort her.

"Listen, if you ever need help... I know a few people in the force, I could get you protected." She smiled bitterly at him when the man slipped a card under her fingers.

"Just like your father..." She said in a small voice. "You're just like your father..." Her eyes filled, making her look away from Gajeel. "I'll... I should go. Thank you for everything." She pocketed the small rectangle paper, then left the diner.

Gajeel sighed heavily as he walked back to his mother's place. He racked a hand through his spikes, thinking hard. He was like Cana Alberona at one point in his life. Abusing his body, abusing other people, just because he wanted to show his parents they didn't control him. He felt sick as he recalled all the stupid things he'd done. If it wasn't for captain Makarov, he would've slipped all the way to the bottom.

* * *

_That night he nearly killed a man in cold blood. Man, he was ever grateful for the beating Laxus and his goons gave him. He woke up at the hospital, with cuffs on his hands and feet, hurting all over. And Makarov came to ask him if he wanted to press charged against the police officers that beat the snot out of him. At first, he got really angry and wanted to do just that, but he recalled the man's face. The man he was hired to kill. He still didn't know how old man Makarov did it, but he just looked at him with those wise, old eyes that seemed to search all the way through his soul. Then Gajeel burst into years like a pansy. _

_"I deserved it." He croaked, trying to look away from Makarov. The old man merely nodded, looking at his feet._

"_We've been trying to catch Porla for a good decade. We have a few people on the inside, but so far, the evidence we have is not enough to put him away for life. We could always use a hand, especially from an inner circle guy like you. Of course, my plea of help comes with benefits on your record." Makarov took out a business card, wrote his number on it and placed it on the night stand next to Gajeel's bed. "Think about it an…"_

"_I'll do it." Gajeel said in a shaky voice._

"_Don't rush on this. There are dangers you should first consider."_

"_My life doesn't mean shit right now, thanks to that bastard. I'm sick of this life. I want out. And the only way I can get out is if I put him behind bars. And even then I ain't sure he won't be coming for me. But I don't give a shit. I'm past that point. I just want this life to end." His red eyes were pleading. Makarov could see he was desperate. His conscience kicked in when he most needed it. Gajeel Redfox wasn't beyond redemption. Wasn't without a soul, as Laxus said after multiple stakeouts at Gajeel's place. _

_In many things, he resembled a lot with his blonde grandson. Tough-looking because he wanted to keep everyone away. Probably because he didn't want to let anyone get too attached to him. Because he was loyal to those close to his heart. And, after this night, he showed he was true to himself. He was just a lost child, trying to keep into the light, even though he walked in darkness. So Makarov got close to Gajeel's bed, the raven haired man still looking away to hide the tears streaming down his cheeks._

_"I promise you this, Redfox. I will free you. I will put Porla and anyone else who could harm you out of comission for good." The old man placed a warm hand on Gajeel's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. The young man snorted, not believing any word. "You'll see. Just hang in there and get us evidence. Heal now, God knows you need it." Makarov gave his shoulder another squeeze, then took his leave._

* * *

That's how his life started. And how he became indebted to old man Makarov. Well, that's how he felt, anyway, cuz the old man always told him Gajeel didn't need to pay him back anything. But his soul felt the need to help his mentor, whatever the old loon asked him.

Gajeel smiled and shook his head as he remembered how he met Makarov, walking back to his mother's.

"Gajeel!" A shrilling laughter brought him back to reality, just in time to brace himself for the glomp attack from Wendy.

"Hey, squirt!" He bent over and scooped her up, propping the small girl on his right hip. "Told ya I won't be long. Missed me?" The girl nodded vigorously, hugging his neck. The next moment she started to shake her legs, wanting down. Gajeel placed her down, Wendy running back to Natsu.

"Everything good?" His brother asked, shooting the ball he was playing with.

"Yeah..." Gajeel answered half-heartedly. Natsu raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't want the kid back. She has... issues."

"Aaaand..."

"And what?" Natsu got closer to his brother and whispered.

"Did dad and her... you know...?"

"She said they never did anything." Gajeel lowered his voice, too.

"Should we tell mom? You know, for a peace of mind."

"I dunno yet." Gajeel exhaled heavily. "I have no idea. I know what my next move is. Adoption." Natsu gapped at his brother.

"You sure about this?"

"Yep. I want Wendy in my life. And now that I know for sure Alberona doesn't want her kid back..." He took a small recorder out of his pocket and showed it to his brother. "I'm gonna be a papa. Officially. I just wanted to know more about the lady, ya know? Wendy's gonna grow and she's gonna ask questions. I wanna answer them. And, if she wants to meet the woman who gave birth to her... Well, I'll deal with it when the time comes."

"You really have grown up." Natsu said with awe. "Dad would've been proud." Gajeel gulped the lump in his throat, slapping his brother on the back.

"Thanks, man. Means a lot." The two then went to grab a beer, continuing their Saturday.

**TBC**

* * *

****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	13. Chapter 13:Pushing his luck

_**Author's Note:** Oh meh gosh, I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS! Even though I feel horrible for taking so much time to answer. BUTILOVEYOUALLFORKEEPINGUPWITHMEEEEE (hearts hearts hearts)_

_Mmmmmsooooo... We're planning for a new baby, and I'm starting a new year as a teacher! yay! although time will not be with me shh_

_**iwillcutyou** , **ioanna-chan , Levsa , Jackman**, yay! new names! and thank joooooo_

_**OuranGirlOfficial** , thank you! you know, this is the biggest problem, making the story realistic. but probably my age helps a lot, since I have some experience at life hehe (shit now I feel old lol). I'll be adding them too, but in future chapters! thank youuuu_

_**SpudyPotato** , well, gotta keep it interesting, right? it's enough I keep you guys waiting so long, ya know?_

_**Kitani**, yep, and now I DID IT AGAIN!_

_**Whispurr** , *cutely pouts, tears in her eyes* thank you! so much!_

_**yamiyugi** , phew! I was aiming for getting it better._

_**JadeOccelot** , I kinda made Cana like the Edolas version. but I'm working on it. will be adding flashbacks from the past._

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

Time flew by, summer almost coming to an end. Gajeel managed to fully adopt Wendy, the man explaining to her that he became like a father to her.

"But you're my big brother." Wendy said with innocence, not quite understanding what was adoption all about.

"Ye...ah..." He scratched his neck, not wanting to tell her Metalicanna wasn't her biological father.

"And dad was my dad. So... I don't understand." Wendy cocked her head, waiting for Gajeel to expain. The man looked intently at the little girl, making up his mind to let things between the two as it was.

"You're gonna be with big brother from now on forever. That's what it means." The little girl beamed and got off the stool to hug his lower back tightly.

"You know, the teacher taught us something before we finished school."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"What to say to the most important people." Gajeel raised an eyebrow, waiting for the girl to continue. Wendy looked up at him, hands still around his lower back. "I love you, Gajeel." His breath stopped, a lump forming in his throat. He lowered himself to Wendy's height and smiled widely at her, caressing her head tenderly.

"It's a wonderful thing your teacher taught you. I love you too, kid. Like my own." Wendy beamed and lunged for his neck, hugging him like a monkey. Gajeel smiled widely, feeling proud. So what Wendy didn't call him and would never call him _daddy_? This was what he needed. He couldn't see himself without the little light that gave him a higher purpose.

Romeo became a constant 'nuisance' in the mornings, either finding a way inside Gajeel's house or yelling at the top of his lungs for the older man to come and open the door (making the neighbors complain out loud).

Gajeel got used to handling the two kids, Romeo finally giving the older man the respect of a father figure. Levy was quite impressed her son listened to the pierced man more than Romeo listened to his own mother.

The two adults became closer friends, spending more time together. Each week night, the two kids and their respective guardians would eat together and play games. Each weekend they would either go to Gajeel's mother, the park or just enjoy a barbecue.

So, one night, like any other night, Wendy invited Romeo for a slumber party. After a few hours of constant pleading and whining, Levy gave in and accepted Wendy's invitation of sleeping over. It was Saturday evening, after all, so she had no work in the morning. Gajeel was dancing on the inside, happy beyond belief to have Levy sleep over.

"Yaay! Romeo's sleeping here!" The two kids jumped up and down, screaming from happiness. Gajeel smiled at their silliness, turning to Levy.

"I have a guest room, if you wanna..." He trailed off, not finishing his sentence. Levy thought for a long moment, then sighed.

"I can't sleep if I don't know he's near me... So... Thank you for having us." She smiled shyly, Gajeel beaming.

"I'll go prep Wendy's room, since she never uses it for sleep. What time is it?"

"Uhm... Ten thirty."

"Is it OK if I let them play for another half hour?"

"Sure, why not? Tomorrow is Sunday, after all."

"Okay. I'll be right back." Gajeel hurried up the stairs, placing a clean sheet on Wendy's bed as the two kids jumped around and played. After he was done, he went to the guest room and got everything ready for the short bluenette.

Half an hour later, he went down the stairs and saw Levy watching TV.

"Is it any good?" He asked as he headed for the kitchen to make some popcorn.

"Not really."

'Just a sec, and we'll watch something else." Levy nodded, flipping through the channels.

"Don't you think it's too quiet?' Levy asked after a few moments, listening intently for thumps or squeals from the two kids. Gajeel looked to the stairs, straining his ears. It _was_ too quiet. He placed the huge bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and headed to Wendy's room. He tiptoed just in case the two were doing something they weren't supposed to and eased himself to the opened door. Light was spilling through the darkened corridor, Gajeel peeking inside. He stopped dead in his track, then leaned on the frame with a tender smile on his face. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and took a picture of the two kids sleeping soundly, hand in hand, sprawled all over Wendy's bed. Toys were scattered all over the floor and bed, and the sheets were crumpled in a corner of the bed, so Gajeel tiptoed to them, grabbed the blanket and covered the two kids. He caressed their heads, then turned on the turtle night light and headed out the door, turning off the light.

"The little devils are out cold." Gajeel said when he came into the living room, handing the phone to Levy so she could see the picture.

"Already?" Levy giggled, looking at his phone.

"D'you wanna go rest or… Watch a movie or something?" Gajeel suddenly felt very self-conscious, knowing Levy would sleep in his house.

"Let's watch a movie, I'm not sleepy yet." Gajeel beamed, grabbing the bowl of popcorn and browsing through online movies. Once they settled for one, the two made themselves comfortable, sitting next to each other.

At one point, Gajeel stretched and yawned heavily, resting his arm on the couch behind Levy. That's when a scary scene frightened Levy enough to jump closer to Gajeel, placing a hand on his right pectoral. The man snapped his head to Levy, who was very concentrated on the movie, not even realizing what she did. He smiled despite himself and pulled his arm closer, guiding the woman to his shoulder. Levy felt the need to lean her head on something, bending her neck easily to her left. When she felt something warm under her ear, she snapped her head to it, seeing Gajeel's shoulder, then looked sheepishly at Gajeel's relaxed face while he watched the movie.

"I'm not biting, relax." He said with a hint of smile, not tearing his eyes from the TV screen. Levy didn't know what got into her, maybe it was the welcoming warmth, maybe it was his intoxicating natural perfume, perhaps it was the longing and loss of an embrace, but she easily leaned her head on Gajeel's open shoulder. He didn't make any move to place the arm behind her on Levy's shoulder, but she heard his heart thump faster. She smiled warmly and made herself more comfortable on Gajeel's strong shoulder, his even breath lulling the woman to sleep.

Gajeel didn't dare move while the movie played, but he couldn't really remember what the movie was about once Levy placed her head on his shoulder. The movie was almost over, so he risked a peek at the bluenette, his breath stopping altogether when he saw Levy was sleeping. He grinned, then leaned his head on top of hers, making sure she was asleep. He didn't want that moment to end, hoping Levy wouldn't wake up any time soon. So he closed the TV and decided to rest his eyes for a moment.

Romeo got up at dawn to use the bathroom. He looked confused around the room, remembering the slumber party. He went to the bathroom, then sneaked a peak in the guest room, where he knew his mother would be. She wasn't there. He went to Gajeel's room to check there. No one. Okay, that was weird. So he went down the stairs and saw Gajeel's head peeking from the couch and under it some blue hair. He tiptoed to them and stopped dead in his track when he saw Gajeel's arm draped around Levy's shoulder, head on top of Levy's. The little boy grinned mischievously as he noticed Gajeel's phone on the coffee table. He grabbed it and unlocked it easily, snapping a few quick photos after her silenced the smart phone. He blocked it and placed it back on the table, then grabbed a blanket from one of the chairs and threw it over the two adults before going back upstairs.

Gajeel stretched, sprawled all over and off the couch. Half his body was dangling off, his right knee bended and resting on the backrest of the furniture. Something warm on his right pectoral made him bend his arm, half-asleep feeling a soft arm. He turned his head to inhale deeply, the sweet scent lulling him back to sleep.

Around half an hour later, Levy stirred awake, her hand caressing her 'pillow'. Only the pillow moved and sighed. That's when she snapped her eyes open. A strong arm was over her own in a very protective way, Gajeel's leg resting on the couch above her own. Her cheeks flamed and motioned to get off, but the strong arm stopped her.

" 's not mblmnmn…" Gajeel mumbled in his sleep. "Stay put, w'nna sl'p…" He turned his head to her, nuzzling her head. He inhaled deeply, then sighed contently and started snoring lightly. Levy didn't know what to do. She was embarrassed by the intimate position, but felt very calm and protected. She didn't want to get up yet, but she knew this would give him hope. And she couldn't give him hope yet. Not while her ex was very dangerous and still at large. Levy sighed, made herself more comfortable and closed her eyes, listening to Gajeel's heartbeat. It would be so easy to love him. But she didn't dare trust another man after what her ex put her through. She knew Gajeel wasn't like that, but that little nagging voice in the back of her head kept whispering _what if he changes, just like her ex did after the wedding?_ Levy decided to just enjoy the moment. The two would be up in a few minutes anyway and this little moment would be over. Sleep took her again, relaxing her mind and body.

Gajeel inhaled deeply, stretching again. This time he definitely felt a warm body on his right side. He crept his eyes open and saw a blue head resting on his pectoral. His breath stopped when he saw Levy's relaxed face as she slept. Gajeel caressed a stray strand from her cheek, letting his hand linger a moment. Levy twitched, half-opening her eyes.

"G'morning…" Gajeel said in a soft voice, his palm still on Levy's cheek.

"Mmm..." She breathed, turning on her back to stretch. She was still half asleep because Levy turned back on Gajeel's chest and raised her head enough to peck him softly on the jaw. Gajeel froze. The raven haired man stared at the short bluenette, his insides flipping. He raised a hand to caress her cheek as he slightly parted his lips and moved his head closer to Levy. He saw the surprise in her eyes, probably surprised she did such an impulsive thing. _How cute._ He though as he moved closer to Levy's mouth. Gajeel looked her in the eyes, Levy not able to look away from those red orbs. The man slightly closed his eyes, getting ready to finally taste Levy's lips. He could hear her heartbeat and feel her quickened breath, his head swimming with her. Just her. He was a hairsbreadth away, his mouth watering.

"GAAAAJEEEEL! I'M HUNGRY!" The two kids came running down the stairs, surprising the two adults. Levy moved so suddenly, Gajeel losing what little balance he had on half the couch and sprawling on the floor with a painful '_oomph'._

"Oh my God, are you OK?" Levy jumped from her spot when Gajeel fell over. He answered her with a short laugh as he turned and got up on the couch again.

"That surprised me." He chuckled, Levy looking at him with worried eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"No worries, no harm done." He ruffled the top of her head, smiling warmly.

"Are you sure you're OK? I really didn't..."

"Hey." Gajeel placed a hand on Levy's shoulder to stop her from saying anything else. "I'm fine. Really. I mean, sure, I was better before I fell over, but nothing happened. It was just an accident. The only thing I hurt is my pride." Gajeel chuckled, Levy relaxing slightly and giving his a shy smile.

"Okay…"

"What are you guys doing? We're hungry!" Romeo was the first to come inside the living room.

"Okay, okay, hold yer horses! Sheesh! Did you wash you face?"

"Yeeees." The two kids sang.

"Brushed your teeth?"

"Yeeees."

"Okay, then. Lemme freshen up a moment and I'll make some grub." Gajeel cringed when Romeo and Wendy started cheering too loud for such an early hour.

They spent the day together, Levy easily dodging Gajeel as he either sat next to her in the park or tried to make a move. Gajeel scowled slightly when he took her hand and she pulled it away quickly while he was walking Romeo and Levy home.

"Good night, Gajeel." She said hastily, ducking her head and passing him quickly.

"Night." The raven haired man raised an eyebrow when Levy merely closed the door, not looking back. He shrugged and turned on his heels to go home.

This is how Levy stopped visiting Gajeel's place so often after a few months of daily seeing each other. She steadily jumped the nights she would come for dinner and the barbecues in the weekend.

So, one night, a few wheels started clicking inside Gajeel's head as Levy refused his dinner offer again.

"Romeo's not comin' tonight." He told Wendy with a frown, the young girl groaning loudly.

"Again? Why?" She whined.

"I dunno, kid."

"Go say you're sorry!" Wendy jumped to her feet, looking angry at Gajeel.

"What for?"

"You must've done something to upset Levy! You're always messing around with Romeo, maybe she doesn't like it when her kid is dangling from his feet inches from the ground! Levy's too sweet and she'd never say anything, but she worries! So go apologize!"

"But it's not my fault!" Gajeel tried defending himself, with no luck.

"Yes, it is! You made her hate us! That's why she doesn't wanna come here anymore! I only get to see Romeo at school and in the park!" Wendy stomped out of the room, leaving a mind blown Gajeel in her wake. He looked at his phone intently, wanting to text Levy and ask her what was wrong, but decided he wouldn't push the short bluenette. She'd come around eventually.

The next day the two adults met at the kindergarten, Gajeel noticing Levy was down.

"Hey." He told her, Levy raising her eyes to him.

"Hey." She answered in a low voice, looking away.

"How are you?"

"Fine." She answered distantly, Gajeel feeling a wall between them. So he didn't say anything else, he merely took Wendy and her backpack and started walking slowly home. He waited for Levy and Romeo, the two kids running in front of the two adults after the boy caught up, taking Wendy's hand.

Gajeel wanted to say something a few times, but the words just stopped in his throat. At one point, Wendy came back to him and took his hand with both hands. The man looked at the child, her strange behavior raising some question marks.

"Gajeel... Up..." She raised her hands and waited for her guardian to raise her in his arms, the man obliging a moment later. Wendy cuddled in his neck, whimpering softly, wrapping her little arms around her neck.

"What's wrong, kid?" Gajeel asked Wendy, Levy snapping her head to him. The child whimpered again. Levy headed to Gajeel, placing a hand on Wendy's forehead.

"She's burning up." Gajeel stopped in the middle of the road, staring at Levy. He checked Wendy's temperature on her neck and indeed she was burning up.

"I don't feel so good..." The girl said in a low voice, moving her head to a side a moment before she threw up. Gajeel quickly moved her from his shoulder, bending the child over so she could empty her stomach.

"Shit... What do I do?" Gajeel was starting to panic when he saw Wendy couldn't stand. She went limp in his arms, the girl managing to whimper again.

"Let's get her home." Levy said with concern, Gajeel not wasting time. The bluenette started rummaging through the medicine cabinet as soon as they got to Gajeel's place, Romeo and Gajeel holding Wendy's hand. Levy quickly came in the room, throwing the handful of medicine on the bed to examine them better. Wendy threw up again in the bowl Gajeel brought from the bathroom, the man clearly not knowing what to do.

"Do you have Sprite or Mountain Dew?" Gajeel was so concerned, staring helplessly at Wendy, he didn't hear Levy. "Hey." The woman touched his shoulder, Gajeel flinching slightly. "Do you have cold Sprite or Mountain Dew in the house?"

"No. Why?"

"She keeps throwing up. If we give her somes medicine now, her stomach wouldn't take it and she'd just throw it up. Sprite calms her stomach spasms enough to take her medicine.

"Really?" Gajeel looked incredulous at her, not believing his ears. Levy nodded, smiling warmly. "I gotta go to buy some..."

"Go, I'll watch out for her. Oh, and stop at the drug store and buy this for stomach flu." Levy wrote the medicine down and handed it to the worried man

"Stomach flu?"

"Yeah. It's not coloenteritis, she would've had cramps and diarrhea. She's feverish and throws up. These are symptoms of a stomach flu. Romeo had it last year."

"Thanks, Levy. I mean it." Gajeel bore his eyes into hers, the bluenette giving him a warm smile.

"Go." She urged him, Gajeel not wasting time. He grabbed his wallet and keys and hurried to his car.

Half an hour later, Gajeel was running up the stairs to his bedroom, opening the bottle of cold Sprite.

"Here." He handed the bottle to Levy, who tried to give some to a squeamish Wendy. "She doesn't want to drink it, you try."

"Wendy, honey, you gotta drink this."

"No..."

"It's good for you."

"No... I'm gonna throw up again..."

"This is gonna stop tummy pain and you won't throw up anymore." Gajeel caressed her sweaty forehead.

"Promise?"

"Have I ever lied to you?" Gajeel asked soothingly, Wendy shaking her head. She moved her head to the bottle of Sprite, Gajeel exhaling relieved once she drunk a few mouthfuls. Some ten minutes later, Gajeel gave her the medicine, exhaling relieved when Wendy finally stopped puking. "Try to sleep, kid." He kissed her head and tucked her in, Levy smiling warmly.

The two adults and Romeo headed out the door, Romeo looking back at his friend with worry.

"She's gonna be fine tomorrow, don't worry about her." Levy told her son, taking his hand.

"Are you sure she's gonna be fine?" Gajeel asked with a strange voice. "She's never been this sick before... I mean, she had chicken pox and a few colds, but neither brought her down like this..."

"She's gonna have to eat light food for a few weeks, but tonight will be the worst. If the fever doesn't go down, call her pediatrician. He can give you more details."

"Okay... Thank you. For everything. I don't know what I would've done without you..." Gajeel said gravely, looking deeply into Levy's eyes. She looked away quickly.

"No problem." A moment of silence passed between the two adults before Levy broke it. "Well, we should be going. Good luck tonight."

"Yeah... Good night." Gajeel opened the door for them, leaning on the frame.

"You too."

"Bye, Gajeel." The man ruffled Romeo's hair, then closed the door after the two. He hurried back to Wendy to check on her and saw that she was finally sleeping. So he cleaned what mess the child made and called her doctor to let him know what happened.

The next morning, Wendy opened her eyes and blinked a few times to clear her sight. Her mouth was dry and bitter, making her scrunch her nose in distaste. She looked around the room after realizing Gajeel wasn't next to her. Her eyes stopped on Gajeel once she saw him, napping on an uncomfortable looking chair. The child moved to get off the bed, Gajeel opening his eyes and looking around confused.

"Mornin', kid." He said after he saw the child was up. "How are you feeling?" Wendy hopped from the bed and hurried to the bathroom.

"I gotta pee." She said hurryingly, sprinting to the bathroom. Gajeel followed her quietly, watching her with concern. Once the child was done, she brushed her teeth, Gajeel not tearing his eyes from her.

"I'm hungry." Wendy said once she was done. Gajeel extended his hand, Wendy placing her small palm in his.

Breakfast was uneventful, the man still looking at Wendy like she might faint while she was eating. Lucky him he called his boss an evening before and told him all about Wendy, Makarov giving him a few days off to get the child back on her feet. He took a paper out of his pocket and reread it, making a mental list with everything he needed for a light menu the pediatrician recommended.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Gajeel asked the toddled while she was watching cartoons.

"Yep."

"Do you wanna go out in the park?"

"Mmmm... No... I'm not really in the mood... Can I stay in and watch cartoons?"

"Well, yeah, but not too much, you know what the doc said about watching too much TV."

"Okay." Wendy said simply, still watching TV, then suddenly turned her eyes to Gajeel. "Hey, Gajeel... Could you do my hair?" The man snapped his eyes to her, not really knowing what to say.

"Uhm... Sure."

"Can you braid it?"

"Uh... No, I don't know how to braid." Wendy's face fell, Gajeel feeling down all of a sudden. "But I could search some videos and we could try." He said hurryingly, Wendy's face lighting up. She turned off the TV and jumped from the couch, hurrying to him. "What? You want now?" Wendy nodded vigorously, smiling widely. Gajeel sighed, grabbing his laptop. _I am so whipped..._ He thought with a smile, sitting down on a chair and lifting Wendy on his leg.

A few hours and many laughs later, Wendy looked in the hand mirror Gajeel gave her.

"It's..." She didn't know what to say, seeing her long hair in two uneven pony tails, hair sticking in places.

"Horrible. Oh my God, how could I have done this to you?" Gajeel said with horror, cringing.

"Come on, it's not that bad..." Gajeel gave her a drool look, Wendy bursting into laughter. "Okay, it's horrible." Wendy answered, Gajeel joining the child, the two laughing with tears.

"I'm not giving up. I'm gonna make you a beautiful braid if it's the last thing I do!" Gajeel unmade Wendy's horrible hair-do, brushed her hair and tried again, the child giggling. And so another week passed.

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****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	14. Chapter 14: Take it back a step?

_**Author's** note: Hello, my Misty~es! Lovely to see all those wonderful, heartwarming reviews! Oh my gosh *fans herself* I think I'm gonna cry from happiness you guys are still here! I can't express how awesome you guys are!_

_**JadeOccelot** , that cliffhanger, tho'_

_**SpudyPotato** , I have a few scenes about that already written, hehe. Shhh_

_**iwillcutyou** , Rboz is always amazing! unlike me shh But I do thank you!_

_**kathia05** , the manga ending was a bit disturbing. I understood her choice, but I just couldn't enjoy the ending as much. Not my cup of tea, what can I say. But the story was pretty awesome. So thank you for R&amp;R!_

_**ioanna-chan , Jakman505 , BlackHeartFallenAngel , Levsa , kmmcm , Guests** , thank you! And all those of you who don't review, but still take the time to read! it means a lot to me!_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

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**Chapter 14: Take it back a step?**

It's safe to say Wendy had to stay at home that week, but she got better in no time. The two spent that week alone, Gajeel not finding the time to call or text a certain short bluenette. Plus, he felt she was avoiding him, and that brought him a little down. He still had hope she'd come around, but sometimes he hated his multiple pierces and tattoos since he scared people in general with him appearance. So the week after Wendy's stomach flu passed in a blur.

The following week started uneventful, Gajeel picking his girl after work. Wendy greeted the tall man with a glomp, Gajeel smiling widely as the two went home.

The following morning, Gajeel noticed Wendy was a bit down for some reason, but didn't say anything about it. So he did his morning business, then went to make breakfast. Wendy followed him quietly and sat down to nibble on her breakfast.

"Hey, Gajeel." The man looked from the paper to Wendy. "Could you do my hair before we leave to school?" The child stirred her cereal, looking intently at the bowl.

"Sure..." Gajeel had a feeling something bothered the girl ever since she asked him to do her hair a week before, plus the weird mood she had that morning, but kept quiet. So he hopped from his chair and went to the bathroom to get a hair brush and some bands, then went to the living room, Wendy hot on his heels. The child hopped on his knees when he sat on the couch, Gajeel brushing her long hair.

"So... Why do you want your hair done for school?" Gajeel asked nonchalantly as he did a pony tail and wrapped the hair band on. Wendy kept quiet, but sighed heavily. "You don't have to tell me if you don't wanna, just... You've never really liked it..."

"It's..." The child looked down, Gajeel stopping his hands to look at the girl. "Am I cute, Gajeel?" She snapped her head suddenly to him, the man not knowing what to answer. He noticed she was very serious.

"Yes, you are. Why are you asking?" Wendy looked down again, twining her fingers in her lap.

"Some girls from my class told me I'm not cute... And I wanna show them how nice you do my hair.."

"Hey..." Gajeel placed a large palm on her cheek to make her look at him. "You don't have to do your hair just to show those girls you're cute. If they didn't see how cute you are by now, then they don't deserve your attention. Your hair, clothes, none of these matter. What matters is this." He placed a finger on her chest, smiling at the child. "What makes you cute and awesome is how you act with those around you. The rest doesn't matter because they don't make you who you are. This makes you who you are." Gajeel poked her chest again, the little girl smiling at him.

"Thanks, Gajeel!" She lunged for his neck, hugging him tightly, the man chuckling.

"Anytime, squirt. So... Do you want another pony tail? Because you look ridiculous with one." The two laughed, Wendy letting him finish. The girl went to the mirror to inspect her hair do, smiling contently. Romeo stormed through the door at the same time she came back in the living, the two stopping dead in their tracks.

"Morning, Romeo!" Wendy said, then hurried to the kitchen without looking back at the blushing boy. As soon as the boy saw her new hairdo, his breath stopped and his heart started beating faster. He couldn't even suppress the hotness in his cheeks, so when Wendy turned on the spot, so did he, only he went back outside and closed the door with a loud snap. Gajeel raised an eyebrow, filling Wendy's plate. He wiped his hands on a rag, then went to the door to see what the boy was doing. Romeo almost fell on his butt when Gajeel opened the door, since he was glued to it.

"What are you doing, brat?" Romeo snapped his head to the tall man, looking horrified. Gajeel had his eyebrow raised as he checked him up, noticing he was very flustered and his cheeks were very red. A knowing smile spread on Gajeel's mouth, lowering himself to Romeo's height. "She looks good, eh? I did the pony tails myself."

"Sh... Shut up!" Romeo looked down horrified, his face getting red.

"C'mon, brat, I see that girly blush. So thanks for the compliment." Gajeel laughed loudly when Romeo crossed his little arms and looked away, blush still in place.

"What's going on?" Wendy suddenly came behind Gajeel, the two straightening up in unison.

"Uh... Romeo wants some breakfast." He shoved the flustered kid inside, taking his phone out to text Levy about her son's whereabouts.

"Well, hurry up! It's getting late!" Wendy said sternly, hopping back on her chair.

Ten minutes later, Gajeel still waited for Levy to come and walk her kid to kinder, but Romeo pulled on his sleeve.

"Mom's not coming." Romeo hurried out the door after Wendy.

"Why?" Gajeel thought it was weird, but let it go as soon as he saw how late it was getting. He thought Levy would make Romeo avoid them, too, but shrugged and took the two kids to kindergarten. He texted Levy, letting her know he would drop Romeo at school, then went to work.

Afternoon came, Gajeel picking Wendy from kinder. While Wendy was putting her shoes on, he noticed Romeo was getting ready to go home alone.

"Hey, kid, where's your mom? Why isn't she here yet?"

"Excuse me..." One of the teachers interrupted Gajeel. "Could you drop this young man home? Her mother said you're like his guardian and I'm not allowed to let him leave by himself."

"I'm fine!" Romeo protested, but Gajeel didn't listen to the boy.

"Alone? But..."

"His mother called an hour ago, she said she wasn't feeling well and told me to give him to you."

"Not feeling well?" Gajeel looked at Romeo, then back at the teacher. "Yeah, sure, we practically live next to each other, I'll take him home."

"Thank you so much! Have a nice day, kids!" The two kids waved goodbye, Romeo walking sullenly next to the tall man.

"So... What's wrong with your mom?" Gajeel ended the growing silence after a few minutes, Romeo still looking very down.

"She's a big girl, she can take care of herself. And I could've walked home by myself, too! You didn't have to come with me!" Romeo turned on a different street, Gajeel hot on his heels.

"Where to, brat?" Gajeel looked around, noticing a grocery store, a few other shops and a drug store, Romeo heading to the drug store. Gajeel stopped dead in his track, the child going inside alone, coming back out with his head low. He stopped in front of Gajeel and shoved a paper under his nose.

"The lady said she can't give me this... Could you go buy it?" The boy shoved his small hand in his pocket and handed Gajeel a few crumpled bills. The man read the paper, then looked at the crumpled money from Romeo's hand.

"What's wrong with your mom?" He asked suddenly, the child snapping his eyes to him. Romeo looked away again.

"Mom said it's not your business..."

"Kid, I'm dying here. I'll just go to your place and see for myself, but it would be faster if you'd just tell me." Wendy was quiet next to Gajeel, but worry was clear on her face.

"Why do you care?" Romeo kept his stubbornness, Gajeel losing his patience. He wanted to say something, but his words stopped in his throat when he saw the pure concern on Romeo's face.

"I care because I love your mom, that's why." Gajeel said with a hint of anger, the child snapping his eyes to the man. "So I get worried when something happens to her, okay?" The two stared at each other for a long moment, then Gajeel realized what he said. He grabbed the paper and went inside the drug store to hide his blush. The two kids went inside after Gajeel since the man didn't take the money from Romeo.

"Now will you tell me what's wrong with your mom?" Gajeel said after they got out of the drug store.

"She's down with stomach flu..." Romeo said quietly, Gajeel stopping dead in his track. _Shit... It's my fault..._ Gajeel turned around and headed for the grocery store, the two kids following him. A few minutes and some shopping later, Gajeel was practically running to Levy's place, Wendy and Romeo hurrying behind him.

As soon as Gajeel was in front of the door, he rang the bell, drumming his foot. The two kids came just as Levy opened the door, looking very pale.

"Gajeel! Wh..." Levy looked flustered, Gajeel cutting her.

"You should've told me you're sick." He looked worried at her, the woman staring at him. She sighed heavily, opening the door for him, Gajeel not wasting time. He hurried inside and hovered next to the short bluenette, Romeo giving his mother the crumpled money. She stared at the money, then snapped her eyes to Gajeel.

"Don't even think about it." The man said before Levy could protest about him paying for the medicine and the groceries he placed on the kitchen table. Levy smiled weakly, then went to the living room to sit down.

"Thank you, Gajeel." She said as soon as he sat next to her. "Romeo, could you go play with Wendy in your room?" The boy nodded, grabbed Wendy's hand and went upstairs, leaving the two adults alone.

"I knew you'd take it upon yourself to take care of me and Romeo. That's why I didn't tell you." Levy answered his internal questions, continuing. "Plus, I really didn't want you to see me in this state. Thank God I'm better now."

"How bad was it?" Gajeel asked in a low voice.

"Romeo wanted to call you last night, but I told him no. Why worry you like this?"

"Damn it, Levy!" Gajeel got suddenly up, the woman not finding the strength to be scared or startled by his actions. Gajeel racked a hand through his spikes, thinking hard. "I care. Okay? I care about Romeo, about y..."

"Please, don't." Levy cut him before he could finish his sentence. Gajeel turned to look at her, Levy looking down at her hands. "Don't say it." Her voice was weak, but Gajeel heard her. "Thank you, Gajeel. For everything. I think you should go." Her voice cracked slightly. The raven haired man stared at her, not moving from his spot.

"It's my fault you're like this... If you wouldn't have helped me with Wendy last week..." Gajeel felt torn, knowing Levy got the stomach flu from Wendy.

"I go to work each day by bus. Public transportation is very dangerous, I could've gotten it from anyone."

"Levy..."

"No, really. It's not your fault or Wendy's. I'm glad I was able to help you after everything you did for me and Romeo." Levy got up and got closer to Gajeel, placing a hand on his arm. "So stop blaming yourself." Levy smiled warmly, the man staring at her. He couldn't hold himself back with her so close, Gajeel taking the small woman in his arms and hugging her tightly. Levy gasped surprised when Gajeel lunged for her, stiffening in his arms.

"I'm sorry..." Gajeel whispered on her neck, holding the short woman in place. Levy didn't move, still standing like a statue in his arms. "You don't want me to say it, but I can't help my feelings..."

"Gajeel, please..." Levy's voice cracked, the woman pushing him away. "Thank you for everything, I'll make it up to you. But please..." She turned away when Gajeel released her. "Just... Go. " She sniffed quietly, hugging herself. Gajeel looked at her back intently for a moment, then placed his hands in his pockets.

"Sure..." He passed her and called for Wendy, the girl running down the stairs to him. "If you need anything... Anything at all... Like if you need me to pick up Romeo from school... I'm just a call away." Gajeel insisted, Levy still looking away. As soon as she nodded, Gajeel turned on the spot and left home.

"Levy has the same thing that made me sick, right?" Wendy asked in a low voice after a long moment of silence.

"Yeah..." Gajeel answered distantly, still thinking about her.

"I made her sick..." Wendy was on the verge of tears, Gajeel stopping abruptly.

"No! Don't you think for a moment you're to blame! If anyone's to blame is me! Because I didn't know what to do and she helped me! Okay? Me! Not you!" Gajeel almost shook the little girl, Wendy's chin trembling.

"Is she gonna be OK?" The girl asked in a trembling voice.

"Yes. She'll be fine by tomorrow, you'll see. So it's nothing to worry about."

"Then why do _you_ worry so much about her?" Wendy looked him in the eye suddenly, Gajeel's words stopping in his throat. He couldn't say the words again, it was enough he spilled his feelings to Romeo. So he took her hand and started walking home, not saying a word. _It's complicated, kid..._ He thought to himself as the two went inside their home.

**TBC**

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****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	15. Chapter 15: Things are going well?

_**Author's note:** Since I didn't say this at the beginning of the year, I wish all of you, wonderful people out there, a very Happy New Year and may it bring what the last years didn't and you wished. _

_Yeah... The muse is still missing. I'm gonna make a wanted post, anyone who can find my muse will be rewarded with my stories being completed lol._

_Same old, same old in my life, my almost 6 yr old is a cheeky little thing (since I wanted to be like me...), hubby is still the same wonderful man, and we're still trying for a new baby... but failing miserably... Maybe the muse is missing because of my state of mind, I dunno. But, alas, life goes on, hubby says everything will be OK and we'll get pregnant eventually, all I need to be is patient (which I'm not. depressed, maybe, but not patient...)_

_Enough with my rambling. Have I told you how wonderful you, readers and reviewers are? No? WELL YA ARE! Lots of squishy hugs from me!_

_**ILoveSS** , **Violet Shadow , MarchEclipse , Levsa , spk** , new names! yay! thank youuuuuu_

_**yamiyugi** , no worries, you'll find the one who's meant for you when the time is right. you just have to wish for that person really hard. it worked for everyone is free to their own, so no worries there either. but I do wanna give you a big hug! you're a wonderful person!_

_**TalesOfDragonFairy** , no worries, my updates are late as well T_T THANK YOUUUU_

_**Aquacharles** , well, I am keeping up with Usagi's Drop story, so it's kinds predictable. but I'm gonna change the ending, since it's not my cup of tea. And it's not incest since Wendy and Gajeel are not related. Neither is Gajeel and Romeo. here's the definition of incest: Sexual relations between persons who are so closely related that their marriage is illegal or forbidden by custom.** (so closely related **as in grandparents-parents-sons-brothers-grade 1 and 2 cousins - very closely related / blood related) But if this predictable outcome is not your cup of tea, then I totally understand if you give up reading this. Everyone is free to their own opinions! HUGS!  
_

_**BlackHeart** , I love torturing you all MWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAA_

_**Levylily** , I know the feeling of disappointment when you read all the chapters of an ongoing fic. i know it. AND I FEEL SO SORRY FOR KEEPING YOU ALL WAITING! And WOW! I'm amazed I got so many peeps hooked on this! I do know the feeling, as a fanfic writer I do thank you all for encouraging me, as a fan I kick myself internally for not updating sooner._

_**JadeOccelot** , depression and fear can do that to a person. Lucky she has Gajeel by her side hehe_

_i**willcutyou , SpudyPotato , Tenryou no hoko** , well, for a story to be read it does need some magic to get your feelings workin' , eh? and I do love playing with feels! (even though there are times when I cry while writing the tragic chapters, cuz I 'see' the scenes in my head) THANK YOUUUU! And hugs!_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

_Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

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**Chapter 15: Things are going well...?**

Even though Levy rejected Gajeel, she still accepted his offer. So she let Romeo hang with Gajeel a few more days, since she wasn't still on her full potential, but her boss made her stay over a few hours for a whole week to make up for the day she took off for medical problems. So she explained everything to Gajeel, the man rejoicing she still let him help her, even though Levy didn't let him confess.

So, for a whole week, Gajeel made plans to go to the park each day, after Gajeel picked the two kids from kindergarten. One afternoon, the tall man was out in the park with the two kids, deciding to treat them with some hotdog, then went to the playground. Romeo was acting a bit weird, staying silently next to the pierced man. Gajeel dismissed the child's mood, placing the two back packs on a bench before Wendy scurried to the swings. Romeo looked after the girl, but stayed put.

"Hey, Gajeel..." Romeo said with his eyes on the fast-food in his hand, kicking some dirt.

"What's up?" Gajeel bit from his hot gratefully chewed carefully, waiting for the child to continue.

"Did you mean what you said a few days ago...? About my mom?" Romeo looked him in the eyes, Gajeel gulping heavily. The man was quiet for a long moment, thinking what he should answer the child. Nothing came to him but the truth.

"Yeah."

"Do you really love her?" Romeo's eyes were shining with hope and hurt at the same time.

"Yes, I do."

"Then why don't you make yourself my dad?" Gajeel almost choked on his hot dog, swallowing the whole chunk unchewed.

"It's not that simple, kid. I can't make myself your dad. Your mom has to accept me. I can't just go to her and force her to be with me. That would be wrong." Gajeel tried explaining.

"Why?" Romeo looked puzzled at him, Gajeel motioning to him to come and sit on his knee. "My dad did that all the time." He said with innocence, not really understanding what happened in their family.

"You remember him?" Gajeel felt sick on the inside. He knew Levy and Romeo were abused in their family, but he never pressed the matter.

"A little." Romeo nodded.

"Well, let me tell you what my father taught me about girls. He told me girls should be protected, because they aren't as physically strong as us. They are like fairies, beautiful, mysterious, always coming up with new ways of impressing you. They are as strong as us, men, or even stronger in some ways, but I should never raise my hand to a girl. That doesn't make me a man. Protecting a girl, now that's something else. When you protect a girl, you become like a lion. Strong, majestic. And just your roar can save her. But if you raise your hand to a girl, you become like a rat. Small, insignificant, always paranoid about that girl that she might find her brain and leave you. And when you see a girl with a bloody lip or a blue eye from a guy, their magic disappears. No more fairy dust to make you fly, no more love in their eyes to warm your cheeks, no more kind touches to buzz your skin. Just fear and hate. And that's not the way a woman should be. She should be the sun that warms you, not a cold shadow." Romeo was drinking Gajeel's words, looking in awe at him. "Does that make sense to you?" Romeo nodded with his mouth open.

"Well, now you understand why I can't make myself your dad?" The child looked away in sadness and nodded again. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't be the happiest man alive if I became your dad." Romeo snapped his eyes to a grinning Gajeel, the man ruffling his hair affectionately. The kid returned the smile and did something that stopped Gajeel's breath.

"I wish you were my dad, too, Gajeel." Romeo said as he hugged the man tightly. Gajeel composed himself, then wrapped a large arm around the boy without a word.

"Okay..." Gajeel cleared his throat, releasing the child. "Go play, we have half an hour left, we gotta make dinner for your mom." Romeo hopped from Gajeel's leg and headed for the swings, where Wendy was. "Hey, Romeo." Gajeel called to the boy before he could go very far. "Could you keep this a secret? What we talked about? Your mom is not ready for... you know."

"Sure! Besides, you'd just make a fool out of yourself if you tried anything now." Romeo laughed as Gajeel yelled an outraged _Hey!_ and motioned to run after him. The boy ran to Wendy, Gajeel sitting back down on the beck, smiling to himself.

"Smart ass..." He chuckled, continuing his hot dog.

The following weekend, Levy reluctantly took Romeo to the park, after hours of pleading to see his best friend. Levy still didn't feel comfortable around the tall man, even though he'd been nothing but good and righteous.

Gajeel answered the phone hastily when he saw Levy's name on the screen, whooping loudly once the bluenette told him to grab Wendy and head for the park. He almost forgot the water bottles in his haste, but, soon enough, the two were out the door.

The two adults didn't have much time to interact since the park was packed with kids and parents alike. The little group of parents Gajeel and Levy befriended was also there, so they joined them to avoid the awkward silence between them.

Two hours later, Gajeel and Levy were the only ones left in the park, Romeo not wanting to leave Wendy as they played in the sand box. So Gajeel gathered his courage to break the strange silence and decided to ask the bluenette more about herself, since she never really talked about her. Gajeel merely deducted things.

"Uhm... So I ve never really asked And I'm not the one to pry on personal business..." Gajeel started when they sat down on a bench. "But... Where's the lucky man that got you?" Levy snorted.

"Took you longer than I thought." When Gajeel looked puzzled at her, she continued. "Any other guy would've asked about Romeo's dad sooner than almost two years." She hinted the time they knew each other. Gajeel smiled sheepishly and looked away. "He doesn't have me anymore." Hope swelled in Gajeel's chest, suppressing the need to howl in happiness. "I grabbed Romeo and left everything behind before..." She gulped, clearly remembering something awful. "He's in jail now, for attempted murder."

"That's why you're on witness protection?" Gajeel asked in a soft voice, Levy nodding. She didn't say who her ex tried to kill, but Gajeel could imagine from the way she and Romeo flinched every now and then when he touched them gently. Rage filled his entire being. How could any man abuse such a wonderful woman and his own child?

"I'm sorry..." His words make Levy snap her eyes to him. Gajeel bore his eyes into hers for a long moment. "I didn't mean to revive painful memories..." She stared at him, not believing her ears. A moment later, she dropped her head, looking away to hide the tears in her eyes. Gajeel wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to pull her to him, but she stopped him.

"I... can't..." She trembled slightly. Gajeel felt his stomach drop when he heard her heavy voice. "I'm sorry, I can't... I'm not ready..." He pulled his arm quickly, feeling very down. She placed her face in her hands and wept silently for a few minutes.

"I can wait." He said simply, Levy snapping her puffy eyes to him, watching him in amazement. He smiled warmly at her. "Take your time, I'm not going anywhere." Levy was stunned. No man had ever treated her like he did, nor did they say such things to her. "Can we... at least be friends?" He asked in a fearful voice. "I mean, we already are friends, just... Ya know... Without my proposition."

"Yes..." A wide smile spread on his face, exhaling heavily. "I'd like a friend for a change."

"I can be anything you need. If it's a friend you need right now, I'll be the best friend any girl can want." He smiled so brightly, her heart ached for him. "Does this mean you'll stop avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you!" She sniffed, wiping her eyes. Gajeel snorted as he handed her a hankie from Wendy's pack, which she took gratefully. "I'm not!" He rolled his eyes, snorting again. Levy blinked surprised. "Am I?"

"I've been trying to get you two to dinner for the past two months. Wendy started thinking you're upset because of us or something. She even yelled at me for making you hate her."

"I don't hate her! Or you, for that matter..." Levy tried to sort her thoughts out, realizing what Gajeel said was true. "Sorry..."

"Really, there's no problem. You have your life, and other things to worry about. I just don't like you avoiding... us."

"It was rude of me. I apologize. But I'll take you on that dinner offer, and raise you a making up for the avoiding part." Gajeel looked puzzled at her. "I'm cooking next time." Gajeel smiled and looked at Wendy.

"She'll be so hyped."

"And you?" Levy couldn't stop herself from asking, and immediately regretted it. Gajeel smiled, his hope growing.

"You already know how I feel about you, so there's no point in asking." He smiled crookedly, stopping Levy's breath. "I'll love it." He said simply, making Levy blush. He quickly got up, not wanting to push his luck. She said she needed time, and he would give it to her. She was worth waiting for.

**TBC**

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****_Word count: 1647 words_****

****_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


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